A New Dawn
by Angie's Twilight
Summary: Edward Cullen and his friends mercilessly bullied Bella until one day she reached her breaking point and fled to Phoenix to live with her mother, Renee, and stepfather, Phil. An unexpected tragedy forces Bella, a completely changed person, to move back to Forks. Edward and the rest claim they're no longer the bullies they once were, but it's easier said than proven.
1. Chapter One

_**A New Dawn**_

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

**I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find, so feel free not to correct me in a review :)**

**Thanks and enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Forks, Washington was buzzing with the news of Isabella Swan's return. No matter where I went I couldn't escape the mention of her name. That type of thing tended to happen in a small town like the one we lived in. Secrets were few and far between in a place like this.

Anyway, Isabella Swan was back. Bella, the girl I'd tortured until she fled the state just to get away from me and the 'Cullen Coven' as we'd been dubbed by our classmates. We'd become notorious since that day in the cafeteria when things had gotten more out of hand than usual.

When I'd first heard the news I was reasonably skeptical. I was sure someone was playing a cruel, sick joke on me, but I'd found out quick it was nothing but true and so much more. Apparently, her mother and stepfather had been killed in a car accident, and she was coming back to stay with Charles Swan, her father and chief of police here in Forks.

And he'd made it no secret that he didn't want me, or any of us, anywhere near his daughter, not that I blamed him.

"Chief Swan," Esme had greeted him politely when he'd showed up on our doorstep yesterday afternoon. "Please, come in."

"Thank you, Esme," he'd replied in the same polite tone. Even though I knew he'd really like to ring my neck, I think he truly liked Esme and Carlisle. They were genuinely good people, and I think he saw that. It wasn't their fault I was so screwed up.

I watched quietly from the safety of the kitchen like a coward as he entered the house, my stomach suddenly churning, and I became extremely uneasy. My stomach turned at the possibilities. This wasn't a social visit. Something was up, and it wasn't good.

"Please, make yourself at home, Charlie," I heard Esme say sweetly.

"Thank you, but I won't be long. Is Carlisle here?" Charlie asked, getting straight to the point. He seemed to be in a no-nonsense mood. Two things about Chief Swan: he didn't hover and he didn't make it a habit to conduct social visits like these.

"Of course. He's in his study. I'll go get him," she answered and I heard the dull thudding of her footsteps as she climbed the stairs.

Charlie looked as uncomfortable to be here as I felt about him being here. The last time he was here hadn't been as civil as now. When Isabella had fled Forks, Mr. Swan had showed up here in a rage, yelling and shouting, demanding to know what I'd done to his daughter. I didn't blame him; what we'd done to her was awful.

Though there were plenty of days we made her life a living hell, I often thought particularly of the day she left. It'd been at lunch time. She was sitting by herself as she did every day, and I'd been pissed because I'd gotten into trouble by Mr. Banner for skipping first and second block. I'd been angry and wanted someone to take it out on and who better than my personal punching bag?

Of course, things were fuzzy from the pot, but I could remember most of what I'd done.

_My eyes scanned the crowded cafeteria for her. I was still high from the joint I'd just smoked with Rosalie and Jasper on Meadow Street, the nearly deserted road that lined the very back of the school._

Where are you, Swan?

_She wasn't in the lunch line... My eyes reached her regular table and I was met with a pair of big, dark brown eyes staring back at me with a look of that of a frightened doe._

_I stared at her for a moment, my eyes narrowing slightly before smiling to myself._

Gotcha_, I thought smugly._

_I made my way over to her table, my friends following my lead as if they could sense what was happening. We were like a pack of wolves closing in on a helpless sheep._

_She tried to make an escape, but Emmett kept her in place._ _She glanced up at him, more trepidation in her eyes as they widened. Emmett looked huge compared to her small frame, almost like how small Alice looked standing next to him. She looked so…fragile, but I couldn't think about that right now. I had to stay in character._

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk," Emmett smirked, shaking his head. "No running, Smella. You know that, don't ya? Or do we have to remind you again?"_

_I walked over to Bella confidently. "Hello, Smella. Trying to avoid me today?" I asked mockingly._

_She bit her lip as if trying to keep words in. She did finally speak, but her voice shook and cracked._

_"P-please just leave me a-alone," she stuttered pleadingly._

"_Is poor Smella gonna cry?" Alice asked from behind me, glaring at Bella._

_I vaguely registered the whole cafeteria had quieted down and was now listening. My vision was slightly blurred._

"_What do you think, Rose? Should we give Smella a pass today?" Alice asked Rosalie who was standing behind Emmett now._

_"Of course not," Rosalie said as if the question had offended her before her face broke into an evil smile._

"_No," we all heard Bella whisper._

_I hesitated for a moment. Her voice sounded so small. I could feel myself starting to waver, feeling kind of guilty again as I normally began to. As if she could sense exactly what I was thinking, Rosalie gave me a pointed look, reminding me not to go soft._

"_Did anyone say you could speak?" Alice demanded, glaring at Bella again._

_Bella immediately looked down, closing her eyes briefly. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks._

"_Aww, she's crying," said Jasper who was now standing beside Alice. He had a lazy smile on his face, and I could tell the pot was still effecting him, too._

_Rosalie glared at me, telling me not to chicken out. The others ridiculed Bella as Rosalie put me back in the right mindset._

"_Do something, Edward. Grow a pair already," she ordered. "Do something or you'll look like a fool in front of the whole school. Is that what you want?"_

_Her words made a lot of sense. In that moment, her twisted logic sounded reasonable._

_Then it was almost as if I'd drifted out of my own body to watch the scene unfold as I saw myself reach for two milk cartons off of two students' trays at a nearby table and dumped them on Bella Swan's head._

_Rosalie smirked. She'd gotten exactly what she wanted._

_She nodded at me in approval and encouragement. 'Do it,' she mouthed._

_I looked back at a very mortified Bella. "Hmm, I think I rather like this milk covering up your bad skin and ugly face. You should wear it more often," I laughed. My voice didn't sound like my own and I didn't like it, but I pushed those insecurities and that little annoying voice down until I couldn't hear it anymore._

_The cafeteria went dead silent for a moment before erupting in all different types of reactions. Some people like Tanya Denali and Jessica Stanley looked smug, laughing. Some people like Angela Webber gasped in horror, their hands clamped over their mouths in shock._

_Bella Swan bolted from the cafeteria in tears and I did not see her again._

Until now.

I was snapped out of my memory as Esme returned to the living room with Carlisle following closely behind her.

"Charlie," Carlisle greeted pleasantly, nodding at him.

They shook hands awkwardly.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" Esme offered kindly.

Charlie shook his head. "No, thank you. I'd just like to cut to the chase. As you've probably heard, Bella's moved back to Forks," he began.

Esme and Carlisle exchanged a glance that said it all. They'd been expecting this visit.

"Yes," Carlisle said. "We've heard."

"Yes, well, I'm sure you've guessed she'll be back at Forks High," Charlie began slowly. "Bella's just lost her mother and stepfather. She's been dealing with a lot of things no kid her age should have to deal with. She's got a lot on her plate, and the last thing I need is for…anything to happen to her at school." I could tell by his strained voice that he struggled to put the last part so nicely.

Carlisle and Esme's expressions turned to guilty ones. They'd felt terrible about what had happened, and they still did. They were ashamed of what the others and I had done. I couldn't blame them. I was a terrible person.

"Charlie, we can assure you nothing will happen to Bella. There won't be any problems. We can guarantee that," Carlisle promised.

"They were all punished, Charlie," Esme said softly. "Both at school and home. We and the other parents even put them all in therapy. They still go."

"Humph," Charlie grumbled. I knew what he was thinking. We weren't the ones that deserved or needed therapy, he thought. "Well, I just want to be sure there won't be any trouble. Bella's been through enough," he said instead of what he really wanted to.

"Of course," Esme agreed eagerly. "We understand that, and if Bella needs anything at all we're here," she said sincerely.

I could see on Charlie's face that he wanted to tell her how unlikely it would be for Bella to talk to them if she had a problem or really needed something. We would be the last people Bella would turn to for help.

"Thank you. We appreciate that. Bella will appreciate it," he lied. "Anyway, I should get going, but I'll be keeping an eye out. Especially on Edward."

"You won't need to Charlie," Carlisle promised, his expression serious.

"We'll see about that," Charlie grumbled under his breath, heading for the door.

To my relief, he was gone only a few moments later.

They came into the kitchen, looking at me warily. They had known I was here all along, apparently.

"We're assuming you heard all that," Carlisle said, looking at me sternly.

I nodded, averting my eyes. They knew how ashamed I was of what I'd done.

"It's going to be okay, Edward," Esme said as she soothingly rubbed her hand on my back.

She'd told me that several times over the last year or so, but it had never been okay.

"You heard what Charlie said. No trouble. Make sure history doesn't repeat itself, Edward," Carlisle said harshly, looking me in the eye.

**BPOV:**

I didn't think I'd ever be back here, not in a million years. Forks, Washington.

There were too many bad memories to stand the thought of ever living in this shitty little town again, but there were worse memories back home now. Well, I suppose home wasn't really home anymore. Home classified as a place where you had somewhere you belonged and people you cared about and who cared about you as well. And there was nothing left in Phoenix for me.

So, this place would have to do, and I'd have to make do with Charlie, not that the idea of living with him was horrifying or anything. It was simply that Charlie and I were somewhat…awkward together. Our relationship was always somehow awkward, but I'd been estranged from him for the past year or so since I'd left this place.

Yeah, I'd considered Forks my home once. A long time ago...

Now I had to bite down and force myself to accept it as my home again.

I drove my huge, orange monster of a truck through the small town, garnering more than a few double-takes and odd looks. Not that I blamed them; not only did my old truck look like a monster but it sounded like one, too.

I sighed as I passed all of the gawking faces. I hated Forks, detested it beyond words. I'd promised I would never come back here. Well, not by choice, anyway. And it wasn't by choice. That was the worst part. I was being forced to endure this god-awful, gossipy small town. I was going to stay with my father, Charlie Swan, chief of police to the good townsfolk of Forks, Washington.

Being back in Forks meant being back at Forks High though, and I had no intention of pretending to be happy about it. Forks, home of the assholes. Basically, my shit list: Edward Cullen, Alice Brandon, Jasper Whitlock, Emmett McCarthy, and Rosalie Hale. They could all rot in hell.

I mentally winced with the memory of my last day here. I shook my head free of the horrid memory as I pulled up to Charlie's house.

Well...

Here goes nothing.

The house hadn't changed that much from what I could remember. Still the same old yellow walls in the kitchen and, in the living room, the old green sofa I'd fallen asleep on from time to time when I was younger. Even my room was the same as I'd left it except you could tell it definitely hadn't been lived in for a while; the walls were bare and the room was utterly plain. I'd taken all the personality out of it when I'd left such as stripping the walls of pictures and clearing the room of any dearly personal effects.

I passed the time by unpacking clothes and trying to make the room look a little more like a senior graduating rather than the shy, sixteen-year-old wallflower who I'd left here in tears almost two years ago right before her seventeenth birthday. I'd been a different person back then when I'd left.

"_Bells, please, would you just tell me what happened?" Charlie demanded, his face agonized with fear and pain._

"_I don't want to talk about it, okay? I just want to go home," I got out between sobs, hastily throwing my clothes and anything else I could grab into my suitcase. The milk had dried on my clothes and I'd pulled my hair back into a sloppy ponytail so I wouldn't have to deal with the disgusting mess right now._

_Charlie stood there beside me, watching helplessly as I packed everything with a rush. "Bella, what happened? Talk to me, please," he begged._

_I closed my suitcase and turned as I tried to make my way down the stairs with the very heavy luggage. I grabbed onto the rail for support as I half-carried the hefty load on my leg._

_Charlie appeared in front of me, blocking my path and prying the luggage from my grasp. "Bella, calm down! You almost fell. Now, where are you going?" he demanded, grabbing my arm firmly to keep me from bolting from the house like he knew I wanted to._

"_I'm going to Phoenix to stay with Mom and Phil. I can't stay here anymore! I can't live like this!" I shouted, my vision blurring all over again as fresh tears began to form. Then I broke down and told him everything._

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><p><strong>AN: **Thanks for reading! Leave me a review :)

Stick around if ya want...


	2. Chapter Two

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer : **Don't own Twilight. No copyright infrintment intended. SM owns Twilight.

The rest, however, is mine. Read and enjoy...

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

I hated the old Bella, loathed her.

I hated her quiet and shy demeanor. I hated her for not sticking up for herself when those assholes walked all over her, tortured her until she broke. She was weak and pathetic, and I hated her for it. I hated her for not being strong enough, for not defending herself, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

I couldn't change my past, but I could make damn sure my future was different.

I was different now, better. No longer a shy fucking wallflower. No one would ever treat me the way Cullen and the others had. Never, never again.

I'd heard time and time again that revenge wasn't the way to go, but I didn't give a fuck about being the bigger person and forgiving and all that shit.

Fuck that.

This was personal.

I'd like nothing more than to castrate Cullen, McCarthy, and Whitlock with rusty spoons and watch Brandon and Hale also suffer something slow and torturous, but I'd be even happier if I never had to see them again.

_Maybe I wouldn't see them at school_, I thought, trying to be positive even knowing it was highly unlikely and pointless to even have suck high hopes. I'd see them around alright. There was no avoiding, that I was sure of.

I desperately wished Renee was here to tell me what to do. But she was gone. Charlie didn't go to her funeral. I'm not sure why, and we never talk about it. He hadn't even mentioned her since I'd been here. Hadn't shed a single tear. I think he had his own way of dealing with things, throwing himself into his work.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back tomorrow?" Charlie asked on one rare even when he was home early for a change, eyeing me warily.

"Yes," I lied.

I didn't know what I was ready for. I didn't feel prepared for anything except to tell those assholes where to shove it in case they approached me, but it's been a long time. I don't know what it will be like to see them again in person.

I'd had nightmares about them…but seeing them in personal again was an entirely different thing.

"Bells, if you need a few more days, I'm sure your teachers would be more than understanding," he said, sounding concerned and unconvinced of my declaration of readiness to go back.

I shook my head. "No, I want to go to school. I need to. I need something to keep my mind off of...everything," I admitted truthfully.

He sighed, seeming slightly appeased by my answer. "Alright, Bells," he finally said.

I yawned, putting out dirty plate from dinner in the sink.

"I'm tired. I'm gonna go to bed early tonight," I said, leaning down to give Charlie a good-night hug.

He kissed me on my temple. "Night, Bells."

"Night, Char—Dad," I yawned again before heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

I brushed my teeth and changed quickly into a white tank top and my favorite pair of holey, comfortably grey sweatpants. I really was tired, but too anxious to sleep. I kept thinking of a million different things that could go wrong tomorrow at that hell hole, Forks High.

I thought of all the people I'd once considered my friends who'd turned against me so easily when Cullen stepped in to make my life a living hell.

Fucking sheep, all of them, following the pretty boy jock.

Figures.

I'd remember that tomorrow if any of those fuck faces tried to get friendly. I'd remember their betrayal.

When I thought of these mindless sheep, one person in particular wandered into my mind, Jessica Stanley, a girl I'd become friend's with my freshman year right before the bullying started.

_I walked into the locker room, my book bag slung over one shoulder as I made my way over to my usual changing spot._

_Jessica was standing on the other side of the locker room today. Usually she changed right next to me, filling me in on the latest ignorant gossip or chatting incessantly about something trivial or something she found scandalous._

_Instead, she was standing on the opposite side of the room, whispering in a hushed tone to Tanya Denali. Tanya listened intently to her, a curious expression on her face before her eyes went wide as if she'd just heard something wonderfully juicy in the gossip world._

_Tanya glanced up to see me standing there, cleared her throat, and nudged Jessica who then turned around also. She looked at me like I was a freak, before her and Tanya began snickering about something._

_I stared at her with a bewildered expression. I didn't understand why she was acting like this. Just yesterday she was acting like my best friend, but now…_

"_Jessica?" I called._

_She looked up at me with this look on her face like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to even speak to her._

"_Yeah, freak?" she sneered._

_Confused, I stammered out, "W-what?"_

_She sighed, looking at Tanya, chuckling._

"_Let me explain something, Bella. You're a loser, get it? I don't associate with losers, got that?" she demanded, glaring at me._

"_But I—I don't understand?" I questioned slowly, baffled and, quite frankly, hurt. Her words stung._

_She sighed again, louder and with annoyance, and looked to Tanya for help._

_Tanya gave me an annoyed sideways glance as if I were dirt on the bottom of her shoe._

"_Edward Cullen is my boyfriend, Bella," she said, approaching me slowly._

_I didn't understand. What did that have to do with me?_

"_He told me all about you, you little slut. Edward's mine, understand? I don't need some little nerdy bitch like you trying to take him away," she said, then smirked. "Not that you could if you tried anyway."_

_My jaw dropped to the floor. Never once had I ever been called a slut in my entire life. I'd never deserved the title. I still didn't._

_They laughed mockingly at my expression. It was all a game to them._

_They left the locker room together, new pals._

_Jessica purposely bumping shoulders with me as she passed._

_Tanya chuckled. "Pathetic."_

"_I know right," I heard Jessica's nasally voice sound._

It had been the first time I felt like a true outcast.

It was just the tip of the iceberg though.

I'd always been different, but I'd never seen it as a bad thing…until that moment when I felt completely alone. I never imagined that in the years to come I'd be ridiculed and mocked for something I didn't do or something I wasn't.

Just because I'd refused to spread my legs for Edward Cullen and the entire football team like Tanya and Jessica had, I was a slut?

No, I would not forget what had happened.

Sleep evaded me for most of the night, but I didn't mind so much.

Starting tomorrow was a new era, a new chapter in my life.

I saw it as I chance to do something to rectify the past.

As I lay awake, I could help but wonder where Cullen was at this moment and if he was ready for the hell coming his way tomorrow.

…

I pulled into the parking lot of Forks High the next morning in my old beat-up truck, sticking out like a sore thumb, but I tried not to care. I didn't like being in the spotlight or calling attention to myself, but I simply could not do without my old, rust bucket of a truck.

What can I say? It held a soft spot in my heart.

I scanned the lot before exiting my monster of a truck. A few familiar faces here and there but none of significance. Not Cullen or any of the other fucktards.

Finally, I jumped out of my truck and slammed it shut, drawing the attention of a few on-lookers. I heard hushed whispered and glared at the fuckers.

They immediate shut up and looked elsewhere like the smart sheep they were.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed to the registration office.

I entered the warm office and Mrs. Cope was sitting at the front desk. I remembered her well, and immediately recognized her frizzy red hair and thick black glasses. She had gaudy, bright red lipsticks smeared across her barely-there lips, overlapping the skin in an effort to make her lips appear fuller, failing miserably.

I wondered if she'd recognize me.

She took one look at me above her black thick-rimmed glasses and smiled, revealing the red lipstick smeared on one of her front teeth.

I resisted the urge to shudder.

"Isabella Swan?" she asked sweetly, smiling at me.

At the mention of my name, a few heads snapped up in my direction.

I ignored them. Fuck them.

"The one and only," I replied, stepping closer to the desk.

"How are you, dear?" she asked.

"Just peachy," I replied dryly.

Her smile dropped, and I think she got the hint I wasn't interested in her small talk. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Yes, well, everything's already been set up," she said, going through a shitload of papers scattered across her desk before finally handing me a hot pink one with my schedule printed out on it.

I looked over it, approving it quickly as I realized I had AP Lit first period. Chemistry second block wasn't so hot, but I could make due. Economics third block. Last but not least, fourth block was pottery III, oh joy, something for me to take my anger out on: clay.

"Thanks," I mumbled before walking out, not waiting for her response.

I was too distracted looking down at my schedule as I collided with someone, landing on my ass from the blow.

"Ow," I grumbled before looking up into a pair of friendly brown eyes that stunned me for a moment because of their warmth and friendliness they seemed to hold.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going," he said quickly, reached a hand out to help me up.

"Uh," I said stupidly, staring at him dumbly like an idiot.

He was handsome. Russet skin, short black hair. Muscular. His face was completely unfamiliar which is why I couldn't allow myself to shoot him a dirty look.

He stared at me with a questioning look as his empty hand hung in the air, still extended towards me.

_Take his hand, Bella, you idiot, _my inner thoughts commanded.

I did as the voice said, and he pulled me up easily with what looked like little effort.

"Oh, um, no, it was completely my fault," I stumbled out, embarrassed as I rushed to pick up my things, but he beat me to it, easily reaching down with his tall frame and scooping up my bag.

I felt my face heat as blood rushed to it and avoiding his eyes as he handed me my bag. "Thanks, and I was the one not looking where I was going," I assured him, holding up my schedule.

"Ah, new student?" he asked.

_Something like that, _I thought to myself.

"Fresh meat," I confirmed, finally looking at him.

He laughed freely. The sound was warm and made me smile. His laughter and smile it would seem were contagious.

"Need a tour guide?" he asked.

"Um, not really. I know my way around, but I wouldn't mind some company," I said truthfully.

A warm smile broke across his face, making me smile also in return.

"Sure thing. I'm Jacob, by the way," he said, eyeing my schedule.

"Bella," I told him.

"What do you have first block, Bells?" he asked, using a nickname as if we'd known each other for years, not that I minded.

"AP English," I replied, handing him my schedule.

He looked over the rest.

"Good news is we have Economics together. We get second lunch," he said.

"Good."

He nodded. "So, where you from?"

"Um, Phoenix, Arizona…kind of," I said hesitantly, not sure if I was willing to share the sordid, shitty details of my complicated life at this point.

"Kind of?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I grew up here in Forks. Then I moved to Phoenix with my mother about a year ago. Now I'm back. I'll be finishing out the remained of my high school career here at the lovely Forks High," I said as we continued to walk along.

He looked at me for a moment.

"So you must be Isabella Swan, huh?" he asked.

My eyes snapped to his, looking for any sort of judgment in his face but found none.

"News of my arrival's spread that quickly, huh?" I asked flatly.

"Ugh, yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean to . . ."

"It's fine," I assured him. "What rumors are going around now? I'm interested to hear."

He laughed. "Nothing good."

"How'd you know who I was? Does everyone in this town know my entire life story?" I asked.

"Well, rumor has it you fled the state because of some asshole and his friends. And your mother . . . passed away, so now you're back, staying with your dad, Chief Swan," he explained simply, sounding reluctant to mention my mother.

I tried to ignore the tiny sting that came with the reminder of her loss.

"Nice," I said sarcastically.

"So, is it true?" he asked.

"Which part?"

"The part about Edward Cullen bullying you until you left to stay with your mother and stepfather?"

_God, this town has no fucking secrets_, I thought bitterly.

"Depends. People still kissing his ass and kneeling at his feet?"

He laughed. "Umm, not so much. He sort of keeps to himself."

_Interesting…_

I sighed. "Then, yeah, it's true."

…

Jake walked me to first block. I learned he was into extreme sports like cliff diving (he promised to take me sometime) and a passion for fixing things like junk cars.

The day had started off a lot better than expected. Things seemed like they might actually go well.

That all changed very quickly when I walked into my first class.

"Yes, Isabella Swan. You can—"

"Bella," I cut Mr. Riley off, correcting him.

"Yes, well, _Bella_, you can have a seat next to . . . Alice. Ms. Brandon, raise your hand please," he ordered, looking over my shoulder.

I gritted my teeth and turned slowly to lock eyes with her, Alice.

Her wide blue eyes met my slightly narrowed ones as they glared at her all on their own accord.

I had a moment of anger before I smiled internally.

_Hello, Ali, long time, no see._

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><p><strong>AN: **So...yeah, Bella's a bit more...potty-mouthish(?) in this version.

What do you think Alice will be like now? Different? The same? Oh, and what do you guys think of the cover I made for the story?

**TwiFic Recommendations: **

**Bloody Fingerprints by Emily Bones (This is a must read. Very talented author and really good story. WARNING: Sexy Vampward)**

**Demons Lust by XintoxicatedxbyxTwilightX (Another talented writer. Great Darkward/Vampward.)**

**Shamrocks and Shenanigans by mathisson (Mafia story. Sexy Irish Mobward + feisty Bella [insert shenanigans] = great read)**


	3. Chapter Three

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **All that is Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.

The rest is mine.

**A/N: **Hello again ;) Time for another update.

Thanks to all of you who've just recently added _A New Dawn_ to your favorites and/or alert lists such as: **lightbabe**, **freakyemogoth**, **steph3223**, **lady9414**, **AlliesMom1**, **sweetmomma75**, **egosentrinen**,** lotten83**, **Jelly Bean Jenna**, **EnidBarb**, **firegirl2010**, **mrsstrumpy**, **Cuckoo's Nest**, **linda8599**, and so many others! Thank you!

And thank you to everyone who reviews and encourages me to keep going! Thank you for all your kind words!

Here we go, chapter 3 ;)

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

I didn't really believe in second chances.

Perhaps I might have a long, long time ago, but as I made my way over to my seat next to Alice Brandon…second chances and fresh starts and all that bullshit sounded like some made-up fairytale far, far away.

Her wide eyes hadn't left mine still, and I was growing almost annoyed. I took my seat without protest and made sure the stool was inched as far away from the evil pixie bitch as possible.

Her mouth was hanging open.

_Careful, you'll attract flies that way_,I wanted to remark immaturely like a seven-year-old.

But I didn't.

I kept my mouth clamped shut, my teeth locked together.

_Don't say anything unless she does. Just keep your trap shut._

I got out a pencil and a half-used up notebook I'd used all semester at my old school, and, damn it, I could still feel her eyes on me, boring holes into me.

And to be honest, it was really starting to piss me off.

Wasn't it bad enough I had to sit next to her? She couldn't keep her fucking eyes anywhere but glued on me?

I turned my head in her direction, a glare already in place, ready to snap out on her.

"What?" I hissed, low enough so Mr. Riley wouldn't hear.

Surprisingly, she flinched, yes _flinched_, back a little and looked down at her paper.

I couldn't say I wasn't satisfied with her reaction, and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't almost made me feel a little…empowered. I hoped she got the idea and passed the message along to her other little friends aka my shit list.

Bella Swan would no longer be the object of other peoples' amusement at Forks High.

No more; I'd had more than enough.

To my immense satisfaction, Alice kept her head down and her eyes anywhere but on me the rest of the class period.

I smiled internally.

I was surprised, though. Where was the retaliation? No cruel words? No punch or slap? Not even so much as a murderous glare? Hmm, perhaps later when she had her band of brainless dick wads with her, she'd strike back.

At the end of class when the bell rang, Alice gathered her things quickly and quietly. She did not dare even glance my way.

Again, I smiled internally to myself.

This would be easier than I'd originally thought it'd be.

…

"Hi, I'm Mike," the little baby-faced worm greeted me as I took the only seat available in chemistry which happened to be right in front of Mike Newton.

I sighed loudly, annoyed. "I know."

"Yeah, Bella, right? We go way back! Don't you remember me?" he asked, sounding fucking happy like he was some childhood friend or some shit.

I turned to glare at him, probably the nastiest glare I'd given anyone all day.

_Yeah, I remember you alright shit bag_, I thought bitterly as the unwanted memories flashed through my mind quickly.

_Mike laughing as Cullen poured milk on my head._

_Mike "accidentally" bumping into me in the hallways, knocking all my things out of my hands._

_Mike getting pissy after I turned him down for a date._

_Mike telling the whole school I'd let him fuck me in the back of his dad's beat up Sedan so he'd feel like a big man after I shot him down._

_Feeling absolutely humiliated and alone._

He didn't seem to notice or maybe didn't care that I was giving him one of the dirtiest look I'd given anyone in my life. He was probably used to getting them.

He'd made my life a living hell along with the rest.

"So, I was thinking we could get together, you know, catch up on old times?" he asked.

This I had to laugh at. The nerve of that prick!

He slightly flinched back at the sound of my laughter, unexpected as it was to him.

"Is this a joke?" I demanded, looking at him with laughter dancing in my eyes.

Then I laughed some more.

Then I glared at him some more.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" I asked, laughing again.

By this point, we had the attention of the entire class and I was glad Mr. Banner was making copies down the hall and not here to witness this. I didn't need to be sent to the principal's office on the first day back, you know?

He seemed at a loss for words, no idea what to say.

"Uh, w-what?" he stammered, confused which only made me laugh harder.

"Well, you said you remembered me, right? Bella Swan? You do know I'm the Bella Swan you said you fucked because I turned you down and wounded your poor, pathetic ego as if your dick could shrivel up any more?"

The entire class was silent before a roar of laughter erupted through the entire classroom.

Mike, face as red as tomatoes, did the smart thing like a good little sheep and went back to his desk with his tail between his legs.

And this time I'd be ready for him if he tried to say he fucked me in the middle of chemistry while the teacher wasn't looking. Yeah, did I mention he was never all that bright?

I looked back up to the board, copying today's notes.

"You rock," said a sweet voice from beside me.

I turned my head in the direction of the gentle voice and smiled.

And I smiled not only because she'd just told me I rocked but because she was a new face, a new, friendly face.

"Thanks," I replied, smiling.

She smiled back. "I'm Angela. Angela Webber," she said quietly, shyly.

"Bella. Bella Swan."

That's when I made my second official friend at Forks High.

…

Jake was in a fit of laughter at lunch as I told him about what I'd said to Mike the Newt.

"Mike the Marshmallow," he laughed to himself. "What a pansy."

"Trust me, I know," I said bitterly.

Then he was serious again.

"So, he told everyone that you and him . . ."

"Yep," I said, remembering the terrible time and trying to shake the horrid memories out of my head. That had been real the beginning of the slaughter of the only decent reputation I'd held onto at that point after already being bullied by Cullen and the others.

I couldn't count the number of nights I'd cried myself to sleep over that. It was a terrible, awful thing to be accused of something you didn't do or accused of being something you weren't like, in my case, a slut or fucking the slimy worm, Mike Newton.

Jake snorted, bringing me back to reality. "He should be so lucky," he said, making me laugh and, gratefully, lightening the mood.

I was really starting to like Jake.

"And Alice just sat there?" he asked, referring to what I'd told him during economics about the little Alice incident.

"Yeah, pretty much," I told him.

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" he asked.

I shrugged, picking at my food.

Shitty cafeteria food was the worst. Half-frozen fries. Gross pizza. Bruised fruit. I made a mental note to bring my own lunch from now on or not eat at all.

"Hey, there's Cullen," Jake said, nodding towards a nearby table and folding his arms across his chest.

I didn't glance up to where he was looking, fearing I'd come into eye contact with Cullen. "What's he doing?"

"Don't look. He's staring at you," Jake murmured, leaning back in his chair.

I pretended to go about my business, not even looking in Cullen's direction. Pretending I had no idea he was there, hadn't even thought of him, but I wanted to look, see his face after all this time.

Then I wanted to flip him off.

Suddenly, Jacob laughed loudly, freely, attracting the attention of a few people sitting close by at neighboring tables.

My head snapped up from my repulsive food, and I stared at him questioningly.

"What?" I asked curiously.

I waiting impatiently as he tried to pull himself together.

"He—he's glaring at me," Jake managed to get out between laughs.

"Who?" I demanded, glancing around, although pretty sure who he was talking about.

His laughing finally let up and I could understand him better. "Cullen," he chuckled.

"What? Why?" I demanded.

_How strange…_

The fucker didn't even know Jake.

At least I didn't think he did.

Jacob shrugged. "No idea. Maybe it's 'cause I'm sitting with you and he isn't," he joked.

I laughed once, sarcastically. "Right," I replied dryly.

"Is he still looking?" I asked, trying to shield my face by letting my hair fall over my shoulder and forming a curtain so Cullen couldn't see what I was saying just in case he could read lips.

**EPOV:**

Bella Swan was beautiful, even more so than I remembered.

I'd heard she was returning today, but I hadn't seen her all day and was beginning to think it was just another stupid rumor until lunch rolled around.

There, sitting next to that scum, Jacob Black, was Bella, looking beautiful as ever. Her chocolate brown eyes were just as I remembered, beautiful and dark. Her skin was pale yet looked so smooth and creamy, almost translucent it was so clear.

But she was sitting next to _Black_, the lucky bastard.

I'd watched with a jealous rage I couldn't understand whenever Bella smiled or laughed at something he said.

_That should be me._

Wait, what? I didn't really know where all this was coming from or why I was jealous. Maybe it was just the guilt eating at me.

Either way, I was jealous.

I glared openly at him. He saw me, of course, and the bastard actually started laughing. I sensed he knew why I was glaring daggers at him, and he was enjoying it . . . very much.

I watched as Bella shifted, letting her hair fall over her shoulder and forming a curtain, officially blocking off my view of her perfect face.

That pissed me off. I wanted to look at her, see her face.

_Shut the fuck up, Cullen. Like you deserve the privilege._

**BPOV:**

Three words: Fuck. My. Life.

That's what I thought to myself as I walked into my pottery class for fourth block.

Do you know who I saw first thing?

Edward Cullen.

He sat with his back towards the door, he hadn't seen me yet for which I was grateful; it gave me a minute to get my shit together.

I sighed and gave myself a mental slap across the face.

_Come on, Bella. Don't crumble now._

And I didn't.

I walked confidently into the room, right past Cullen, not even sparing as much as a glance in his direction. Fuck him.

I took a seat at the table farthest from his, my back to him so I wouldn't have to worry about seeing his face.

I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't squirm.

I was going to pretend as though Edward Cullen never existed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **What? Don't look at me like that...I had to give them a class together!

Bella and Edward will have to have a show down at some point, right?

And Edward thinks Bella's beautiful? Hah, eat your heart out, Eddie.

**TwiFic Recommendations:**

**1. **_Bottled Lies_** by Karina Cullen **

**Summary - **Labeled as the freak at Forks High, Bella keeps her distance from her peers. Especially Edward, a boy who hates her for no reason. The moment Edward walks into Bella committing suicide, everything is tested. Hatred. Love. Truth ... and Bottled Lies. BxE

**2.** _Sanguineous Torment_ **by PlzFangMe**

**Summary -** Suddenly the human race find themselves slaves to the Vampires. Used only for their bodies and blood. Bella is a blood slave, the Cullen's are totally OOC, and, Edward is in for a world of hurt as he tries to protect the one thing that matters most...

**3.** _Hydraulic Level_ 5 **by Gondolier**

**Summary -**Critics hailed Edward Cullen's novels as "masterful" and "brimstone beauty"-a genius of his generation. To Bella Swan, he was simply the complex man who broke her heart for his career in New York. How does one forget her first love and the new woman on his arm? With whitewater rafting. Skydiving. Surfing. A bit of mischief and sweet, sweet revenge.


	4. Chapter Four

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer****: **Don't own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.

The rest is mine.

Thanks for adding A New Dawn to your favorites and/or alert lists: **1969lmh**, **marley01**, **masenobsessed**, **TwilightLoverGirl1**, **sammi77**, **missemmett**,** amongthestarsx**, **blue eyed vamp**, **RedRose102**,** AurellaCullen**, and many others! You guys are awesome!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

My first week at Forks High had turned out to be pretty normal and boring. I was expecting to have to whoop someone's ass, but it never came to that.

Friday was already here, and I foolishly thought that everything would be okay. No one had really bothered me, and I was beginning to let my guard down a bit.

Wisely, Cullen and the rest had stayed away.

Until today when Alice Brandon made the mistake of trying to befriend me.

"Bella?" she asked softly at the beginning of class before Mr. Riley had started his lecture.

I turned to her, my face less than friendly.

She looked squeamish under my gaze, very uncomfortable. "Umm, I don't know where to begin. I—I was wondering if I could talk to you after school or something. I'd really like to—"

"Unfortunately, Alice, I don't really care what you'd really like. I have a class with you, that's fine. I have to endure sitting next to you, that's fine, too, but we will not talk. We will not be friends, got it?" I said harshly, not waiting for an answer as I dismissively turned away from her but not before seeing the hurt that touched her blue eyes.

For just a tiny, insignificant moment, a split second I felt a tad guilty for hurting her feelings, but then that quickly vanished as I thought of who she really was.

And what I knew was wrong to do to anyone else just felt so right.

How ridiculous, the nerve of that girl.

Why on earth would she think I'd want anything to do with her?

I'd be just fine as long as they left me alone and let me graduate from this hell hole in peace.

I could move on with my life.

When the bell rang, Alice was the first out of them room, rushing out with her head down. I wondered if what I'd said really bothered her that much, but somehow I just couldn't find it in myself to be devistated about it.

_"How pathetic. Are you crying?" she demanded mockingly._

_The traitorous tears found their way over the edge and spilled over for everyone to see and openly mock. _

_Humiliating. It was humiliating._

_Everyone in the gym stopped to watch the scene. I was on display for everyone to ridicule._

_Alice looked at the class. "Anyone want Smella on their team? No? Hmm, I didn't think so."_

_Jessica's nasally laugh rang through the gym. _

_Tanya stood a few feet behind Alice, looking down at me._

_"Don't mess with me, bitch," she warned before sauntering off to an awaiting Edward who stood, glaring at me._

Walking out of first block, I tripped on air and went flying to the floor, landing on my hands and knees, a great position.

Maybe it was karma for lashing out at my old bully.

_Nah, just typical me._

I sighed. "Of course," I groaned, scrambling to collect my scattered books and papers.

I reached for my pencil lying a few feet away, but before I could get it a manicured hand reached out and picked it up.

"Oh, that's okay. You don't have to—"

My mouth hung open in surprise as I looked up into the eyes of Rosalie Hale.

So, she was still around, after all. It was the first time I'd seen her since I came back.

She looked the same, utterly gorgeous.

Her icy blue eyes were not so icy anymore it seemed, and she wore a small smile on her face with a look of . . . guilt on her face?

"Here. Let me help you," she offered as she bent down to help me collect the rest of my scattered things. "It was my fault. I'm so sorry."

My mouth hung open still, a little shocked.

Who was this, and what had she done with the_ real_ Rosalie Hale?

It hadn't really stunned me when Alice tried to speak to me, but I never, and I do mean _never_ thought Rosalie _Hale_ would be kind to me let alone help me pick up my things or apologize for bumping into me!

I stared, dumbstruck, at her as she handed me a stack of my papers.

"You okay?" she asked, her arms still holding out the papers I hadn't taken from her yet.

"Oh, um," I sputtered lamely, grabbing the papers and stuffing them inside my bag.

"Uh, Bella? Bella Swan, right?" she asked awkwardly, that expression of guilt still on her face, and I had the idea it wasn't just there from accidentally knocking me down.

That's when I snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, don't you remember your old pal?" I asked dryly, preparing to walk off.

She frowned. "Bella, I know what you must think. You probably hate me, but I—"

"That's putting it mildly," I grumbled.

Her frown deepened and guilt touched her eyes even more so.

Before she could say another word, I found myself questioning why the hell I was still standing there, allowing her to even talk to me. No, I would not have this conversation with her, any of them.

No.

I spun aound on my heel and walked over in a hurry, leaving her standing there.

* * *

><p><strong>TwiFic Recommendations:<strong>

**1. **_Memoirs of a Mobwife_** by Insert Fangs Here**

**Summary - **It takes a strong and determined woman to live the life I do. I live in a world where Trust, Loyalty and Commitment are as important as the air we breathe.. this is the journey of one woman's experience as a Mobwife Human/language/violence

**2.** _Frontline_ **by MissAlex**

**Summary -** Edward Cullen is a mysterious, wealthy CEO, who always gets what he wants. Isabella Swan is a headstrong nurse at Manhattan Memorial Hospital. Edward arrives at her ER one night and their steamy chance encounter changes both of their lives forever.

**3.** _A May to December Romance_ **by Positively 4th Street**

**Summary -**My name is Isabella Swan and today, I signed a contract that would put me in the steel tight clutches of a man I didn't know, for four years. A girl's gotta pay for college somehow, right? AH. Come meet 'Sugar Daddy' Edward.

b2222646-79b3-45ad-bb0d-0100fd07e522

Y2:b2222646-79b3-45ad-bb0d-0100fd07e522


	5. Chapter Five

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**The rest is mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

As I sat in the stuffy library of Forks High on Wednesday afternoon, Jasper Whitlock and Emmett McCarthy sat two tables away, staring at me.

I could see this out of the corner of my eye but did not look in their direction. Even when I tried to focus on the book, I couldn't as I could feel their eyes on me which made me a little uncomfortable.

What the hell could they possibly want?

To talk, like the others?

Their staring became annoying to the point that I was ready to snap out on them, but I decided against it. They hadn't done anything yet. Maybe they were simply shocked to see me again. I did look different since I'd fled this shit hole.

So, I tried to play nice.

I waited and waited.

Then waited some more, but the staring did not cease.

What the fuck?

I sighed, snapped my book shut, and turned my head to glare at them.

They looked surprised for a moment before regaining composure, looking at me with cold expressions.

You have got to be shitting me.

"What?" I hissed at them, all but ready to cut their balls off, the nerve of those assholes to give me a dirty look.

Slowly, they got up and stalked over to my table.

I think they were trying to intimidate me. It was not working; it only made me angrier.

They each took a seat on either side of me, trying to use this as intimidation also but failing.

I wasn't scared.

I was fuming.

"Bella Swan, right?" Whitlock asked.

"Long time, no see," McCarthy said.

There was nothing friendly in their tones.

"What do you want?" I ground out, gritting my teeth.

Whitlock narrowed his eyes at me, yes _narrowed_.

_You motherfucker_, I thought as I glared at him with pure hatred.

"What did you say to Alice?" Whitlock demanded.

"And Rosalie?" questioned McCarthy.

They. Have. Got. To. Be. Fucking. Kidding.

"Excuse me?" I demanded angrily.

"They aren't the same people they were. You had no reason to treat them that way," Whitlock said, and I could tell by the tone in his voice that he actually believed the bullshit he was spewing.

I laughed humorlessly. "Are you kidding me?"

He looked a little taken back, surprised even, but he quickly recovered. "No, I am not kidding you," he hissed.

Hell no!

"You actually think in that sick fucking twisted head of yours that_ I_ owe _them_, owe any of you? I owe none of you anything! Do you have any idea what you morons put me through? Do you? I cried myself to sleep nearly every night because of what you all used to do to me. Humiliated me. Hit me. Poured _milk_ on me in front of the entire school. I had to leave my father, my _life_, just to get away from you assholes! Fuck you. Fuck all of you," I spat, glaring at the both of them, preparing to get up and leave.

"Hold on a sec, Bella," Emmett said, putting a strong hand on my shoulder and forcing me to stay seated just like he had that day in the cafeteria when Cullen poured milk all over me…

Then I'm not sure what happened.

Something inside me must have finally _really_ snapped then because the next thing I knew, I was on top of Emmett, pounding away at his face as hard as I possibly could, my knees digging hard into the insides of his elbows, pinning his arms to the ground.

I felt hands tugging on me, trying to pry me off.

I heard shouting somewhere in the distance; I think it was the librarian calling for help.

Finally, someone looped a strong arm around my waist and yanked me off.

I was in a blinding rage though. I tried to lunge out of McCarthy's savior's arms back at a bloody Emmett laying on the ground, but whoever it was holding me kept me firmly in place.

The strong arms carried me out of the library and into the deserted hallway.

"Bella, please, calm down!" a familiar voice pleaded.

I realized it was Jake holding me as I thrashed to get out of his grip, but he held strong, never letting me go.

I stopped my fighting and went limp.

Then broke down, sobbing in his arms.

"It's okay, Bells. You're okay," Jake's comforting words drifted to me as I tried to get a grip on myself.

…

I knew there would be consequences for what I had done.

It didn't matter what Emmett or Jasper or any of the others had done to me in the past.

I only worried what Charlie would think of my behavior and what I'd done.

Emmett's father came down to the school as well as Mr. Whitlock.

Luckily, Jake waited with me outside the principal's office.

I expected Charlie to ask me what the hell I was thinking when he got down here, but instead he asked if I was okay.

"Bella, thank god, when they called…I thought something had happened to you," he said, sounding out of breath as he pulled me in for a hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Char—Dad, but I—I…umm, you're not mad at me?" I asked, confused and trying to breathe in Charlie's tight hug.

He pulled back, puzzled. "Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?" he demanded, looking at me as if to judge if I'd gone crazy, after all.

"Well, I…I punched Emmett McCarthy in the face…repeatedly," I gulped.

"Bella," Charlie said sternly, looking me in the eye. "Those boys shouldn't have even been anywhere near you," he said sincerely.

"Besides, Bells, Mrs. Greene said she saw Emmett put his hand on you first," Jake chimed in.

Charlie's eyes went wide. "What?" he demanded, looking at me.

I sighed. "I tried to get up and leave and he put his hand on my shoulder, trying to force me to sit down again."

Charlie turned ten shades of red.

"Umm, Dad, this is Jake. Jake, Dad,' I introduced them as a distraction. "Jake's the one who pulled me off Emmett."

Charlie was still visibly angry, but he said mentioned that he knew Jacob and Jacob's father, Billy.

"What?" I asked, looking at Jake. "You never told me our dads know each other."

"Yeah, they go fishing together. Besides, it never really came up," he shrugged. "They've known each other since high school."

"What? How come I never met him?" I demanded, looking back to Charlie who simply shrugged.

He was too busy eyeing Mr. Whitlock, Jasper, Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy, and Emmett with anger in his eyes.

This wasn't good.

Principal Mallory called us in first, me and Charlie. Jake, unfortunately, had to wait outside with the assholes.

Mrs. McCarthy gave me an apologetic look as we walked past them walked into Principal Greene's office. She felt sorry for me even though I'd bashed her son's face in.

Speaking of which…

I chanced a glance at Emmett who was staring at the floor, his head hung. His nose was bandaged. He had a pretty bad black eye. His lip was busted. A skin-colored bandage was on his left temple.

Whoa. I did that to that burly grizzly bear?

Jasper was sitting like Emmett, looking anywhere except me as he hung his head in . . . shame?

Well, I'd be ashamed, too, especially if my parents were there to rip me a new one.

Mr. Whitlock looked quite angry, but not at me. He was looking at his son with disappointment.

Mostly, Charlie did all the talking with Principal Mallory and I sat there quietly unless asked a direct question.

I looked down and noticed my knuckles were a little bruised. Ouch.

I felt weird, strange.

Was I happy that I'd beaten McCarthy's face into a bloody pulp? Did I feel remorse? Did I stand up for myself or act a bully like they were? Did I do the right thing?

I wasn't sure how I felt...about anything really.

I guess the only way I could describe how I felt right now was . . . numb.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hope you guys liked it.

Review?

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Y2:b2222646-79b3-45ad-bb0d-0100fd07e522


	6. Chapter Six

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**The rest is mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

I didn't receive a real punishment. Well, I almost didn't.

The principal agreed McCarthy and Whitlock never should have been near me. Unfortunately, you can't just go around beating people's faces in and accept no consequences regardless of the situation.

Plus, McCarthy claimed he meant me no harm but could understand why I did what I did which earned him brownie points with Principal Mallory for taking the blame.

_Bastards._

Guess I can't complain too much, though; I got off easy. All I had to do was spend a few weeks in this tutoring program being a student tutor, helping other students with their homework and what not which would be pretty easy for me which is why Principal Mallory chose this as my "punishment". I could only hope I didn't have to tutor any of the fuckers from my past.

Punching Emmett in the face was totally worth it.

McCarthy and Whitlock were given ISS (in school suspension) for a week and were assigned to help a few teachers after school with grading papers and lame shit. On top of that, they had to personally apologize to me much to my dismay.

I didn't want their apologies. I simply wanted them to fuck off.

Okay, so _maybe_ I overreacted a little . . .

_Maybe_ I shouldn't have taken the violence to the level I did.

And so _maybe_ I went a little ape shit.

And so _maybe_ McCarthy got a few cuts and bruises; I'd gotten plenty at the expense of him and the gang.

I didn't regret what I did. I mean, I'd be lying to myself if I said it didn't feel kind of good.

Yeah, I shocked myself with what I'd done, and if I was honest with myself, I didn't know I had it in me.

I had all this pent up anger towards them, and I honestly think I got just a little of it out by beating the shit out of Emmett McCarthy's face. Is that sick or what?

I did the whole therapy thing after I had my breaking point when I went to stay with Renee and Phil. I mean _real_ therapy with a _real_ therapist who owned a _real_ leather couch you laid back on and told all your problems on.

It didn't help much.

I think the main reason it didn't work is because once I asked her how a person stopped being so angry at someone…

She said forgiveness.

_Yeah, right._

Pfft.

I wasn't the forgiving type.

I held grudges, and maybe that was my big problem. Maybe that's why I had all this built up resentment and anger. And just maybe forgiveness, true forgiveness was the solution to end the whole thing.

Forgiveness, though. That was the hard road.

The easy one was ignoring the problem till it went away.

That's what I was doing, taking the easy road.

~*AND*~

I waited in the cafeteria after school like I was supposed to at a round table with a white piece of paper that read 'literature' in black Sharpie in capital letters taped to the front so they would know which table to go to.

I continued to wait…and wait.

And then wait some more.

No such luck.

_Where are these fuckers?_

I glanced at my watch, noting it was already 3:42 p.m.

Tutoring started twelve minutes ago…

The cafeteria was pretty much empty save for a few other student tutors whose students had already showed up.

I cursed under my breath.

This was ridiculous. I had to waste my own time on this shit, and none of them could even have the decency to show up.

I sat there, sulking until it occurred to me this was a good thing. I didn't want to tutor anyone, so if no one showed up then it was all the better for me.

My job was to tutor them not track them down and_ make_ them show up.

I couldn't make them do anything.

As the minutes ticked by, I checked my watch again, sighing as I realized it was drawing closer to four in the afternoon, so I started packing up my stuff when_ he_ came stumbling into the cafeteria.

His hair was wild, his green eyes ablaze, his face flushed with embarrassment. So, there it was; his face. The face I'd avoided at all costs for the past near two weeks.

Cullen.

He hadn't changed much; intense green eyes, unmistakable wild bronze hair. I found myself thinking back to my freshman year when I'd first seen him. I'd had an enormous crush on him instantly.

I remembered thinking that surely he must have been an angel of some sort. Mortal men were not so beautiful if a man can even be described as such.

But it was foolish.

Angels were not evil.

He scanned the cafeteria, and my worst fears were realized as his eyes stopped their search as they landed on my table. He glanced at the sign hanging off my table and headed in my direction.

_Oh, great. Just what I need._

I grimaced internally, but I didn't give anything away on the outside though. I didn't let my eyes bulge out of my head or let my legs pick me up and take off for the hills.

I remained seated, trying my best not to glare at him or give him all the dirty looks I had stored up for him.

_This could not possibly be happening. Was my luck really that shitty?_

"Hello," he said quietly, his voice almost musical, as he reached my table, keeping his eyes on the ground and shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

For a serious moment, I considered just getting up and leaving, but I didn't. I couldn't.

"You're here for tutoring?" I finally asked flatly when he said nothing else.

His eyes shot to mine, his face flushed. "Um, yes," he replied quietly.

"You're late," I stated bluntly. It was past four.

_So he's irresponsible. What a surprise._

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I thought I could get a few laps in, but I lost track of time," he explained.

"Laps?" I inquired before I could stop myself.

He looked as surprised as I felt about my curiosity. "Uh, yeah. I'm the swim team captain."

I resisted the enormous urge to roll my eyes.

_Of course._

I pulled out my English textbook and waited, but he just stood there looking nervous.

"Are you going to sit down or what?" I snapped irritably, my voice anything but friendly.

"Oh, yes. Of course," he said immediately as if he'd just been snapped back to reality, appearing flustered as he pulled out the chair beside me and had a seat.

_Too close for comfort_, I thought as I scooted my chair away a little.

He noticed this and frowned.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Bella, umm, you don't have to tutor me. Uh, I can find someone else," he said awkwardly.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm the only literature tutor. It's my punishment for the McCarthy thing," I explained, my voice low.

The corners of his lips turned up. "I saw your handy work. Very nice," he commented, sounding very amused.

I glared at him. "Wanna be next?"

All humor drained from his face.

"Let's get started," I said through gritted teeth, opening the textbook.

"Um, okay. I could use some help on an essay I have to write. You like _Romeo and Juliet_, right? I always saw you reading Shakespeare . . ." he trailed off quietly.

"Yeah, fine," I said shortly.

This was pure torture. I had to help Cullen with his essay. I'd rather watch him fail.

I saw him frown again out of the corner of my eye.

"Bella, I—I know I owe you so much more than an apology, and—"

"No," I said lowly, looking down at the textbook in front of me.

He continued anyway as if he hadn't heard me. "I know that you hate me. There's no question about it. I understand that you—"

"No," I said louder, cutting him off again, looking up at him and glaring. "I said no. I'm here because I have to be. I pummeled Emmett McCarthy's face in and now I have to deal with the consequences of that, that's the only reason I'm here right now. My only regret is I didn't get to do the same to Whitlock. This isn't some ploy. This is not some strategy to make you sweat. I don't want anything to do with you or your friends," I sneered.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I gave him a warning glare, and he seemed to get the message as he snapped his mouth shut again.

"You will not come here and use this lame punishment Principal Mallory gave me as a way to trap me here to listen to you," I snapped. "It's bad enough I have to help _you_ of all people, I would rather do anything else, but I don't really have a choice, do I? You will not hold me hostage, understand?"

His mouth hung open a little in shock, but he nodded.

I glanced at my watch. "Time's up."

"It's only four-twenty. We still have twenty minutes left!" he called after me.

I ignored him as I stormed out of the cafeteria.

_Fuck you, Edward Cullen_, I thought bitterly. _This is not going to happen, it can't. _

I was _not_, under any circumstances, helping Edward Cullen.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **What did you think?

Review please..

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	7. Chapter Seven

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.

**The rest is mine. I apologize in advance for any mistakes you might find...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

If Forrest Gump taught me anything, he taught me that life's like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.

Boy, was that saying oh so true. For instance, I never thought I'd end up back here in Forks. I didn't know I'd lose my mother and stepfather at the same time. I didn't know I'd have to be forced to see the kids who'd tortured me during nearly my entire high school career.

I didn't know I'd have to tutor Edward Cullen.

Thank you, Forrest.

Life was full of accidents and doing things you didn't like. It was just life, shitty life.

So, I tried my hardest to remember that as I walked into the cafeteria the next day after school to see Cullen waiting for me at my table.

**EPOV:**

She came into the cafeteria only minutes just after I'd arrived and had already taken a seat at the table she'd been sitting at yesterday. When her eyes landed on me they contained no surprise. She barely even showed any sign of acknowledging me at all at she took a seat in front of me.

"Hello," I said quietly as she pulled out what appeared to be an old, beat-up copy of _Wuthering Heights_. "I'm here strictly for tutoring. I never meant to make you feel like I have some sort of secret agenda," I rushed out before she could cut me off again.

She didn't look at me for a moment. Her eyes stayed glued to the table, her expression unreadable, and I wondered if she was contemplating getting up and leaving again until she finally spoke.

"So, you need help with an essay, right?" she asked, obviously in no mood for pleasantries. "_Romeo and Juliet_?"

Okay, she was speaking to me without any hostility in her voice. Progress, we're making progress. I was really curious as to what went on in that head of hers; she was an anomaly, a complete mystery to me.

"Yes," I replied nervously, taking out my English notebook.

"Let's get started then," she said.

I nodded, glancing again at the worn copy of _Wuthering Heights_ that sat on the table.

"Still reading that old thing?" I asked curiously as I remembered her reading it quite often back then, too.

She looked confused for a moment before tracing my stare to the book sitting in front of her. Realization lit up her face and not the realization I was talking about the novel but the realization I was remembering such things as her during freshman year always cooped up in the library, a little bookworm.

I frowned, knowing what memory was probably flooding her mind. During junior year I'd seen her reading it as she walked down one of the halls of the science building, her nose in that very same book. Emmett and I had teased her, taking the book from her and tossing it back and forth over her head.

It was one of the more harmless things we'd done to her, of course.

Her expression was unreadable again though. How I wished I could get inside her head, hear what she was thinking. She was staring down at the book, eyes unblinking and glazed over until her eyes finally fluttered, bringing her back to reality.

Shit, I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't want to end up like Emmett.

I sighed internally. This tutoring wasn't a good idea. I'd realized that I _had_ in fact initially set out with a personal agenda when I head Bella was coming back. I'd wanted to make things right...for me, fooling myself into thinking I was doing it for her and because of how I'd treated her, and I was...only partially.

Mostly, it was for me though.

I wanted a clear conscience for what I'd done for all the wrong reasons, and that simply wasn't right. I'd been prepared to hopefully tell her how sorry I was and how I really had changed, but I was not doing it for the right reasons like I should have been. More importantly, I had not shown her how I had changed.

It made me sick to my stomach, realizing that I'd probably never earn Bella Swan's forgiveness.

"I'll find someone else to help me with my essay," I said quietly, avoiding her eyes that I knew were on me.

She said nothing. I didn't know if that was good or bad, but I kept going.

"I didn't mean to—It was never my intention to…I mean, I hope you don't think…Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry," I said softly as I gathered my things.

She sighed tiredly, reaching up to stop my hands as they hurriedly stuffed my belongings back into my book bag.

My eyes shot to hers, my expression nothing short of shocked.

"I'll help you with your essay, okay?" she said, not looking directly at my face.

"You will?" I asked, surprised.

She sighed again. "Yeah."

"Not that I'm complained, but why?" I asked, confused and bewildered. "I mean, I'm glad, but are you—"

"Do you want my help or are you just gonna stand there asking questions all day?" she demanded irritably.

"Oh, um, yeah. I mean, no, I'm not going to stand there asking questions all day," I said awkwardly, sitting back down.

**BPOV:**

Don't ask me why I decided to help Cullen 'cause I don't have an answer for you. I guess I kind of…felt sorry for him. Yeah,_ I_ felt sorry for _him_.

Maybe it was because he was all nervous and scared I was gonna do to him what I'd done to Emmett. Maybe it was because he'd declared he had no personal agenda. Maybe it was because he was prepared to leave and not force me to tutor him. Maybe it was because he was so flustered and tongue tied, confused-sounding.

I don't know, but I felt sorry for the poor bastard for some reason, and I had no idea why, but he seemed so . . . harmless now. The Cullen I knew did not get nervous or fidgety. The Cullen I knew was a cocky son of a bitch who though he ruled the world, but that was not the Cullen that I'd met today.

He had no secret agenda that day. I knew this because after that moment of his decision to leave and my stopping him, we spoke of nothing except Shakespeare from that moment on.

I guess you could say we were taking a step foward, a very small step foward.

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	8. Chapter Eight

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.

**The rest is mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

**BPOV**

Things remained pretty much the same at school. Cullen and I didn't speak except during tutoring. When I saw him in pottery, I did not look his way. It was easier this way. There didn't have to be any awkward moments and we didn't have to go through the unnecessary small talk.

He'd kept to his word, only talking about the essay.

On the third day of tutoring, I'd finished helping him.

"Thanks for helping me with this, Bella. I really appreciate it," he told me.

I scanned his face and he looked sincere enough, so I just nodded as he began putting his things away.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I wondered aloud.

He stopped and glanced at me in curiosity. "Um, sure. What is it?"

"Whatever happened to Tanya and Jessica?" I asked casually, avoiding his eyes as I began gathering my own things.

He frowned slightly, but answered my question anyway. "Tanya moved to Alaska with her dad and Jessica…I think she moved to Michigan after."

"Oh," I mumbled.

I knew what he was referring to when he said after. _After that day in the cafeteria._

His frown deepened, and he looked as if he wanted to tell me something else, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself.

"So, is that how you guys broke up? After she moved?" I asked, keeping myself busy by flipping through my textbook as I waited for a response.

I don't know why I was asking him these things. Maybe it was because I wanted answers or because I wanted some sort of closure. Maybe I was simply that curious as to what had happened to them that possessed me, but whatever the reason, I wanted to know.

He was silent for a long moment.

So long I had to look up to make sure he'd heard me. His eyebrows were knitted together in deep thought as he seemed conflicted, struggling with something. Maybe struggling to find the right words or a careful explanation.

"No," he answered hesitantly. "I—we broke up not long after…you left. We, um, well, I broke up with her."

"Oh," I mumbled lamely again, still unsure as to why I'd wanted to know.

He studied me for a moment then sighed.

"I—I'm not saying it's an excuse, but I was a terrible, stupid kid who was too busy worrying about my popularity status to realize what I was doing to myself and to others…like you. I was high and drunk half the time when I came to school, and it wasn't until my parents forced me to sober up that I realized how truly awful I'd been to you," he finished, sounding ashamed.

I avoided his eyes, looking anywhere but him.

I didn't know what to say or exactly how to respond. How did one respond to something as such? I'd be lying to him and myself if I told him that I forgave him, but his words still meant a small something.

I think he wanted to say something more, but he didn't. He finally stood and slung his book bag over his shoulder.

"I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow? Same time?" he asked.

My head snapped up and my eyes shot to his.

_What?_

"You'll be at tutoring again tomorrow?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, if that's alright," he said slowly, unsure.

"Um, I guess," I mumbled, unsure. "You need help with something else?"

"Yes, if you don't mind. It a paper on the Elizabethan Era," he told me, surprisingly me with a real answer.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll help," I agreed, shrugging.

He smiled. "Thanks."

I sighed. "It's my job."

**EPOV**

I could have finished the essay on my own and the Elizabethan Era paper, but I couldn't contain this growing urge to see Bella every day after school. I looked forward to it, in fact.

It was selfish of me, I know, but I was a selfish creature, I suppose.

When Bella asked me about Tanya and Jessica, I was a little surprised that she'd asked me. I wasn't surprised she'd wanted to know, but I was surprised she'd brought up the topic.

Tanya never felt remorse for what she'd done to Bella. My always being drunk or high wasn't a good excuse, but Tanya was always fully aware of what she was doing, and I actually bought Tanya's lies. She was a marvelous actress.

After I finally got my act together, I realized what I'd been doing, how awful I'd been acting, how awful I treated Bella. I'd allowed Tanya and her vicious lies to lure me in. After my head was clear I was disgusted with myself and what I'd allowed Tanya to do to Bella.

~*AND*~

**BPOV**

"Bella, can I talk to you for a second?" Alice asked me in first block.

She'd been extremely careful not to look at me since the Emmett incident, and I wondered what on earth she'd want to talk about now. She'd already tried to have her boyfriend and Rosalie's try to intimidate me.

I looked at her with annoyance, wondering if she was going to try to do what Whitlock and McCarthy couldn't.

"Depends. What's it about?" I demanded.

"I just feel terrible about what Jazz and Em did. I'm so sorry. You have to know that Rose and I never meant for it to happen. I mean, we told them we tried to approach you, but we would never put them up to something like that," she rushed, her mouth moving a mile a minute.

Internally, I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, thanks," I said shortly, flatly, turning away.

I figured it'd be a lot easier to just say that rather than give her another fuck you speech.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her frown, concern in her eyes.

"I really am sorry," she continued. "I don't know why they would do that, honest. They aren't the same people; none of us are."

I sighed tiredly."Okay."

_You're pushing it, Brandon._

"I don't know what came over them. Jazz is just really protective. I'm not sure why Emmett did it though; he and Rose have been over for a while now, but I think he still has a burning candle for her."

I rubbed my temples as she continued her chatter.

"Alice," I interrupted.

She looked at me, finally ceasing her nonstop talking.

"I'm not trying to be a bitch or anything, but I—I just don't care if Emmett and Rosalie are together or if Jasper is your boyfriend or if you're sorry for what they did," I said calmly, turning to the front of the class again.

She blinked a few times, clearly a little taken back. Obviously, no one had ever respectfully told her to shut up.

I was tired of receiving their apologies. They meant nothing, and they changed nothing.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you guys liked the update. Thanks for reading.

A penny for your thoughts?


	9. Chapter Nine

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.

The rest is mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

"Remind me why you're tutoring him again?" Jake asked, sounding annoyed as he glared daggers over my shoulder at no doubt Edward Cullen, the very person he was talking about.

I sighed. "I only have to be a tutor for today then next week and that's it," I reminded him.

"Right, but why are you helping _Cullen_?" he demanded like I owed him some kind of explanation, saying Edward's name with very poorly concealed distaste.

I shrugged. "I kind of felt bad for him," I admitted truthfully.

Jake rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"What? You didn't seem to care before. Why are you acting like this now?" I demanded, getting slightly annoyed at how he was suddenly acting, like I'd betrayed him by helping Cullen or something.

"Because…don't you see what he's doing, Bella? He _wants_ you to feel sorry for him. He's trying to trick you, and it's clearly working," he said curtly, avoiding my eyes.

_What the fuck?_

"What the fuck are you talking about, Jake? He's not trying to trick me," I said defensively, angry now.

Whether I was defending Cullen or myself I wasn't sure. Maybe I was defending us both. After all, Cullen and I hadn't even talked about anything besides his school work except for the Tanya and Jessica thing that _I'd_ brought up.

Jake's criticizing voice broke through my thoughts. "Oh, please. Why are you helping him then? He's got you eating out of the palm of his hand already," he said bitterly, looking down at his tray as he tore a banana peel to pieces.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" I demanded, growing angrier the farther this conversation went.

"Nothing," he mumbled, not even looking at me.

I scoffed. "Yeah, right," I said dryly, rolling my eyes with annoyance. "You're being a real prick, Jake."

He still wouldn't look at me as suddenly the banana peel he was taking so much pride in tearing apart was all too interesting for him to tear his eyes away from to at least look at me.

_Fine. Be that way, asshole._

I dumped my barely touched tray and stormed out of the cafeteria before I said something to him that I'd regret later.

_Jerk._

I glanced at my watch and groaned.

Fifteen more minutes until the bell rang.

I walked out to the parking lot, pulling my hood over my head to shield me from the icy rain, and decided to sit and mope in my truck for the rest of lunch.

Jake, one of the two good friends I'd thought I'd made, was being a total douche right now. That's just great. It's exactly what I needed right now. He was acting as though I was falling for Cullen or something. I wasn't; I was trying to get some answers that hopefully provided me with some sort of closure, and I didn't think there was anything wrong with that. I didn't think there was anything wrong with not wanting to be so fucking angry all the time, and the whole situation certainly had nothing to do with Jake. This wasn't about him.

I jumped, startled, when someone lightly knocked on my window. I glanced up to see Cullen standing there in the cold rain, motioning for me to roll down my window.

Hesitantly, I did.

"Are you okay?" he asked, the rain beginning to soak and somehow tame his wild bronze hair.

"Um, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked casually, trying to keep my voice mellow even as I thought of the hurtful words Jake had said.

He shrugged. "I saw you get up and leave the cafeteria. You looked kind of angry, so I thought I'd come see if you were okay?" he asked.

_I'm always angry._

"Yeah, I'm fine. You should go back inside; you're getting soaked," I commented.

He shrugged. "It's okay."

"You're just gonna stand out here in the rain?" I demanded. I sighed internally. _Okay, Bella, don't be an asshole to him just because you're pissed at Jake._

He smiled crookedly at me and shrugged, pulling his best innocent face.

As if I would let him stand out there in the freezing rain after he'd come to check on me, and he knew that, too.

_Oh, you're good Cullen_, I thought as I narrowed my eyes at him. I was about to decline his silent plea, but seeing him standing out in the freezing rain getting soaked was making me feel a little guilty. He had come out here to see if I was okay, after all.

_Come on. You still have a heart, Bella Swan._

I sighed. "Get in."

"What?" he asked, looking at me with total innocence as if he hadn't expected it.

_Yeah, _right, I thought, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Get in," I said a little louder. "Before I change my mind," I grumbled.

He flashed me a brilliant smile before rounding my truck and sliding into the passenger seat beside me as I rolled up my window. He brought with him a gust of cold air and the masculine smell of cologne, but it wasn't overpowering, thank God.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did Black do something?" he demanded, saying Jacob's name with as much distaste as Jake had his.

"No," I lied.

"Bella, you're a terrible liar. Your face is like an open book," he chuckled.

I scowled. Charlie told me that all the time, and I hated that quality in myself. I could never lie without being caught, and it proved to very inconvenient at times.

He turned serious again, all traces of humor leaving his face and his tone. "What did he do?"

I sighed internally. Should I really be confiding in Cullen of all people about this of all things?

"It's nothing, stupid stuff. He'll get over it," I told him honestly.

He frowned. "It was about me." It wasn't a question. He knew.

I laughed. "Conceited much?"

He laughed sheepishly. "Oh, come on. It's no secret Black and I don't like each other. Of course it was about me. He doesn't like that you're helping me," he said simply.

"Can you read minds or something?" I asked sarcastically.

He chuckled. "I wish. Good guess, though. I can read lips."

My eyes shot to his emerald green ones. "I hope that's a joke."

He smirked, his expression amused. "It comes in handy quite often."

My eyes widened, shocked. What else had he "overheard"?

"Why did you ask if you already knew then?" I grumbled a little irritated as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat while avoiding his eyes as I could feel them watching me closely.

He licked his lips, shrugging. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to see if you'd tell me the truth," he said, still watching me intently.

"Do you do that a lot?" I demanded, feeling a little like my privacy had been violated.

"Do what?"

"Spy on my conversations . . ."

"Oh. No, not really," he replied coolly.

My eyes widened. "What does that mean, 'not really'? So just sometimes then?" I demanded sarcastically.

He laughed sheepishly, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment like mine used to quite often. "I don't know. Sometimes I can't help myself."

"What?" I asked, not sure I'd heard him correctly.

He shrugged again. "You're a very interesting person, Bella Swan."

I glanced out my window, rolling my eyes. _Gee, what a line_, I thought dryly.

"Do me a favor and don't…spy on me again, okay?" I said irritably, shifting in my seat again.

He was looking out his window now, but I think I saw the side of his face pull up in a smile for a moment. "I'll try, but I don't make any promises on that."

I raised an eyebrow at him even though he couldn't see.

"What the hell does that mean?" I demanded.

"It means . . . I'll do my best," he said, looking back at me finally.

"No, Cullen. You won't try, you'll do," I said through gritted teeth.

He seemed amused by my state of anger, but the amusement in his eyes quickly disappeared as he became serious again.

"I need to ask you something," he said quietly.

I sighed. "You know, your mood swings are really starting to give me a whiplash."

He ignored that, and asked his question instead. "Is Jacob Black your boyfriend?" he asked.

My eyes shot to his again, surprised to find his intense and burning with something despite the cool, marble mask he wore.

"What?" I demanded, my eyes widening with shock.

"Is that why he got so angry that you're tutoring me, he's your boyfriend?" he murmured.

_What the hell?_ Who was he, my father?

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Cullen," I said through locked teeth, glaring at him. I was really beginning to regret letting him in my truck; I'd rather he stand out in the icy pouring rain now.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is that a yes?"

Anger, that's what I felt. I couldn't believe he was acting like I owed him an answer. The nerve of this bastard was something else. He hardly even knew me.

This time_ I_ narrowed my eyes at_ him_. "It's exactly what I said, none of your business," I repeated.

He narrowed his darkening eyes again, scrutinizing me, perhaps looking for the answer in my face until finally looking away, ending our glaring contest. "You're right; it isn't any of my business. I'm sorry."

With that, he climbed out of my truck without another word, sloshing through the puddles across the uneven pavement of the parking lot as he left me sitting there.

~*AND*~

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Jacob got mad because you're tutoring Edward. You left the cafeteria, angry, and went to your truck. Edward went out there in the pouring rain to check on you, ruining it by interrogating you about Jacob. Is that about right?" Angela asked as taking in my entire story.

"Pretty much," I said, sighing and glancing around to make sure Cullen wasn't around to read lips.

She shook her head in disapproval. "That's terrible."

"Which part?" I asked.

"All of it. The whole situation is terrible. You're stuck in the middle of a love triangle," she said.

"A what? No, no, no. I'm not," I said defensively because the idea was preposterous and unsettling at the same time.

"Yes, yes, yes. You are," Angela replied. "It's so obvious what's happening here."

"Oh, yeah, and what's that?" I demanded. "If you can explain it, please do share."

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "I see the way they look at you, the two of them. Jacob…he looks at you like you're his favorite person in the world, and Edward, he looks at you like you're the _only_ person in the world."

I raised an eyebrow. "Angela, that's the most . . . ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Jacob is my best friend. Cullen is my ex bully."

"Hmm, yeah, I agree. It's pretty interesting, huh? I mean, a guy falling for the girl he used to torture? It's kinda like that movie…_A Walk to Remember_?" she said. "And, hey, you know, Edward following you into the pouring rain would have been so romantic if he wasn't your ex bully."

I snorted. "Yeah, if this were _The Notebook_ then, yes, it would have been very romantic, and I'm sure I'd discover he'd written to me every day for a year apologizing for everything," I said sarcastically.

Angela and I glanced at each other once before bursting into a fit of laughter.

When it finally died down, she said, "I'm just saying it would be nice. I wish a guy would do that for me. I mean, if it had been anyone other than Edward getting all jealous like that it would have been hot."

"Okay, first, a guy like . . . Ben?" I asked suggestively, wagging my eyebrows at her and nudging her in the arm with my elbow. "And, second . . . ew."

She narrowed her eyes at me playfully. "Hey, we're not talking about my love life here, and you can honestly sit there and tell me you're not attracted to Edward Cullen?" she demanded skeptically.

I stared at her for a moment, finally sighed. "Look, Cullen is . . ."

"Undeniably handsome?" she offered.

"Is not bad-looking," I supplied, "but he's . . . When I see him, I don't get all weak in the knees and swoon over his good looks. I don't get butterflies in my stomach when he walks into the room. I don't dream about him. As a matter of fact, he's in my nightmares. I cringe every time I see him because every time I look at his face some awful memory pops up."

Angela's eyes softened. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," I assured her.

She sighed. "Look, what Cullen and the others did to you was terrible, downright cruel actually. I can't even imagine what kind of people would be capable of doing stuff like that, really, but people _can_ change, you know."

I suppressed a sigh. Okay, so maybe people could change. And, okay, maybe Edward Cullen had for all I knew, but that wasn't the difficult part for me, to realize this.

The difficult part was forgiveness, and, in my opinion, Edward Cullen hadn't earned mine.

~*AND*~

As tired as I was by the end of the school day, I still had to tutor Cullen.

The way I saw it though is that it was as good a time as any to get some more answers.

"So, are you bipolar or something?" I asked bluntly.

His head snapped up from his textbook and his eyes snapped to mine as if trying to judge if I was joking or not.

"I'm serious," I told him.

"No, I'm not bipolar, Bella," he said defensively.

"Okay," I said simply, shrugging. "Just asking."

"Why would you ask that?" he demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Gee, I don't know. I mean, one minute you're laughing and okay then the next you're all serious and...dark."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"In my truck, I mean. One minute you think it's funny to spy on me and the next you're interrogating me about Jacob," I said.

His eyes shot to mine on Jacob's name as if my mere saying it was enough to peak his interest. "Well are you? Dating him, I mean?"

I smirked. "Well, aren't we eager to know. If you spy on my conversations anyway, what are you asking me for?" I teased.

He smiled crookedly. "Touché, Swan."

~*AND*~

I had never been more relieved to get home. All I wanted to do was crawl upstairs, have a nice long, hot shower, and then go straight to my warm, comfy bed.

Of course, I wasn't going to get to do what I wanted to do, now was I?

Charlie's police cruiser was in the driveway along with a motorcycle.

I narrowed my eyes at it. _Jacob._

_What the hell is he doing here?_ I climbed out of my truck and stomped up to the porch and into the house. Warm laughter immediately greeted my ears. I knew that laugh; it was Jacob's.

I stayed turned around, pretending to be fidgeting with something on the door as a distraction. Finally, when I could no longer stall, I reluctantly closed the door and hesitantly turned around to see Charlie, Billy, and Jacob all comfortably hanging out in the living room together.

Charlie stood up from his seat on the couch. "Bella," he greeted me, pulling me in for a one-armed hug.

I forced a smile, trying to distract myself even as I could see out of the corner of my eye Jacob sitting on our couch, staring at me.

"Billy and I went fishing today. There's some in the kitchen for you if you want something to eat," he said.

"Um, no thanks," I said, wrinkling my nose. I'd never really liked fish.

"Well, Jacob's here, too," Charlie smiled, gesturing to where Jake and Billy were sitting in front of the TV.

Even before I glanced at Jacob who was studying me carefully, I could feel his eyes on me, making me feel very awkward and a little uncomfortable.

"Hey Billy, Jake," I said politely, waving, not wanting to seem rude in front of Billy or Charlie.

Billy smiled. "Hey, Bells. Good to see you again. Charlie here never shuts up about you," he teased Charlie.

I laughed, turning to Charlie who was smiling his crinkly-eyed smile.

"You sure you don't want some fish, Bells?" he asked.

"I'm sure," I said immediately.

"Okay, well, you wanna hang out down here with us?" he asked, hopeful.

"Um, no thanks, I'm gonna take a quick shower and go bed early. It's been a long day; I'm really tired," I yawned, heading for the stairs.

His smile disappeared and I immediately felt guilty. "Alright, get a good night's sleep," he said, pulling me in for another one-armed hug and kissing the top of my head.

I smiled. "Night guys," I said to Billy and, unfortunately, Jacob before disappearing upstairs.

Unfortunately, as tired as I was that night, sleep still evaded me as all of the conflicted thoughts of today ran through my mind, especially Angela's words.

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	10. Chapter Ten

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns all that is Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.

The rest is mine. I apologize in advance for any mistakes...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

My Saturday morning consisted of doing laundry and dishes.

_Eight in the morning and I'm doing dishes. _

Any other normal teenager would still be passed out in bed.

I'd been in the same routine since I could remember, always doing dishes or cooking or cleaning. I was not blessed with chefs for parents and Renee was too irresponsible to do the rest and Charlie, well, Charlie worked a lot, too much, and his cooking was…well, I was more than happy to do the cooking rather than eat whatever he threw together or burnt.

One of the many downsides to doing dishes was that they kept only my hands occupied as my mind wandered elsewhere to things I'd rather not think about.

Like Edward.

_Cullen._

I hated to admit it, but I could actually put up with him. He was not as unbearable as I would like to say. I'd like to say I hated his guts, that I wished him nothing but misery and unhappiness for the rest of his life, but what kind of person would that make me?

It'd make me no better than how Edward is. Was. No, is… I don't know.

It was times like this when I missed Renee more than ever. She would know what to do, give me the advice I desperately needed. Charlie, on the other hand, didn't even have a clue what was going on let alone the fact that I was tutoring Cullen and it was best to keep it that way. I didn't know how he'd react if he found out, and I didn't want to.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

I dried my hands quickly and hurried to the door.

Jacob glanced up when I opened the door, smiling sheepishly, his hands jammed into the pockets of his dark jeans.

"Jacob," I said flatly, masking my surprise.

"Hey," he greeted me quietly. "Can I come in?"

I was tempted to slam the door in his face, but I was curious to see what he wanted, so…

"Sure," I said nonchalantly as I shrugged and stepped aside to let him in.

He brushed past me into the house, bringing in a woodsy smell with him. He walked into the living room and looking around suspiciously, eyeing the kitchen and the hallway as if looking for something…or someone.

I raised an eyebrow at his behavior. "Can I help you?" I asked, annoyed.

He stopped his search and looked at me warily. "You home alone?"

Confused, I answered hesitantly, "Uh, yeah, Charlie's at work. You know that."

He nodded, finally sitting down on the couch before taking another quick survey of things.

I didn't move from where I was standing as I leaned against the wall, watching him carefully.

"Are you okay?" I asked, studying him.

He glanced up at me then back down at his fidgeting hands, seeming distracted. "Oh. No, yeah, I'm fine."

Then awkward silence for several seconds.

I sighed. "Well, did you need something?" I questioned.

He said nothing, staring at the floor. I could tell something was bothering him.

"Because if you don't, I have a lot to do . . ." I trailed off.

He looked up at me again. "I'm sorry for what happened between us at lunch the other day."

I waited for him to say more, but he didn't. He just sat there, staring at his damn hands.

_That's it?_

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the heartfelt apology," I said dryly. "You can let yourself out," I tossed over my shoulder as I went back into the kitchen to finish up the dishes.

Finally, some reaction as he stood. "Bella," he said loudly, following me.

I went to the sink and began scrubbing away again as if he wasn't there.

He sighed. "Look, Bella, I'm sorry for how you felt about what I said, but I'm not going to take it back because it's true. I can see you starting to fall for his act."

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "What act, Jake?"

"Don't play dumb, Bella. You're falling for it, that stupid charade he's putting on," Jake growled, angry now.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm tutoring him, nothing more and nothing less."

He scoffed. "You're so naive, Bella. He obviously has other plans," he said, mumbling the last part more to himself than to me.

"What?" I demanded, growing more irritated by the second.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Bella. Don't you see how he looks at you? This nice guy act is just a façade to get into your pants! He's a player. He always has been!"

At that moment, Angela's words rung in my ears…

'_I see the way they look at you, the two of them. Jacob…he looks at you like you're his favorite person in the world, and Edward, he looks at you like you're the only person in the world.'_

"He's not trying to get into my pants," I said angrily. "I tutor him. We don't talk about anything else."

Edward may have done a lot of things, and maybe he even had some ulterior motive for wanting my help, but trying to fuck me wasn't it.

Jacob didn't even flinch. Instead, he just smirked like he thought he'd won or proven something. "It makes you angry, doesn't it?"

I glared at him. _If looks could kill . . ._

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

His eyes were dark with some sick amusement. "When I talk about him it makes you angry."

"You really are a fucking prick," I said with disgust, shaking my head. "What makes me angry is my so-called best friend thinking I'm a dumb, naïve slut."

He glared, narrowing his eyes. "I never said you were a slut, Bella."

"So I'm just dumb and naïve then?" I demanded sarcastically.

He sighed in frustration, running a hand over his face. "No, that's not what I meant and you know it."

"No, I don't know," I said.

He sighed again, wearily, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck but said nothing else.

"Just get out," I said grimly, going back to the dishes so I didn't have to look at his face.

"Bella, you know I'm right. When you come to your senses and realize that, let me know," he said.

Then he was gone, the front door opening and closing a few moments later, confirming his new absence.

The worst part was that Jacob's words really _did_bother me, but not because they were true—which they weren't—but because it was Jacob, my so-called best friend, who was saying them, mocking me as if I were an empty-headed pawn in Edward Cullen's game of chess.

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Y2:b2222646-79b3-45ad-bb0d-0100fd07e522


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: **All that is Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.

**The rest is mine. I apologize in advance for any mistakes...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

I looked myself over one more time in the mirror.

_Good enough_, I reasoned. I was never very pretty, just average-looking. Ordinary.

But that was okay. Today wasn't about looks.

I wore a hyacinth blue dress my mother had bought me last year on my seventeenth birthday. It was simple yet perfect for an occasion like this. It clung to my body in a flattering way and stopped just above my knees. I played it safe with the shoes: black flats. No need in tripping across the stage and embarrassing myself in front of nearly the whole town.

My cap and gown was laid out across my bed waiting for me to put it on.

I'd done it. I'd graduated high school hell.

And through my second time at Fork High, Home of the Assholes, I'd managed to make only one real friend: Angela, and wreck the friendship I'd made with Jacob. I hadn't spoken to him since he showed up at my house a couple weeks ago. I'd waited for him to call. I'd thought about calling him, but, of course, that 'fuck him' voice always overpowered my rational one.

"Bella?" I heard Charlie ask from behind me, knocking lightly on my door.

I looked up from my shoes and saw Charlie's reflection behind me in the mirror.

"Yeah, Dad?" I asked.

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I reply truthfully.

His eyes twinkled with pride. He was happy for me. He was even happier that I'd received my acceptance letter into Dartmouth only a few days earlier.

I was doing it, pushing forward and getting out of Forks, Washington for good.

I glanced up at his reflection again to find him watching me intently.

"What?" I asked, turning to look at him.

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face and crossing his arms. "Well, you'll be going off to college, Bells. I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Dad," I said, and I meant it. "But we'll be in touch, I promise."

"I know, but it won't be the same, you know. It's gonna be weird . . . not having you around this place," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and motioning to the house. Charlie never was good with emotion. I guess he's where I got that from.

Neither of us was good at good-byes either.

I sighed. "I wish Mom was here." Suddenly, my chest felt too small, and I could feel my eyes sting with fresh tears.

"Me too."

Silence engulfed the room.

*0*o*0*o*0*o*0*

Cheers erupted as Principal Mallory called my name for me to accept my diploma.

I stood and walked across the stage, focusing mainly on getting across the flat surface without tripping on air or my own two feet.

Brandon, Cullen, Hale, and McCarthy had already walked. Whitlock was the last one of the Cullen gang to go, but I'd be gone before he walked.

I got my diploma and scanned the crowd for Charlie. He stood in the third row, clapping and smiling his crinkly-eyed smile. I could have sworn I saw his eyes tear up a bit, but I'm sure he'd never admit to that if I ever asked him about it.

I made my way off the stage and into the crowd to find Charlie. I passed Angela's parents and made sure to wave to them. Angela would be attending Dartmouth as well, and I was hoping I'd see her around there, too.

I smiled as I finally spotted Charlie but quickly stopped dead in my tracks and froze when I saw who he was talking to.

None other than Carlisle and Esme Cullen stood there talking to my father. What they were talking about I could only imagine. None of them appeared to look angry or tense, but Charlie sure did look awkward.

What the hell was going on?

I chewed on my bottom lip nervously and was prepared to turn around and walk away until the coast was clear, but Charlie turned his head and saw me. Cullen's parents copied him and caught sight of me as well.

They smiled.

My stomach churned, but I gave a polite tight-lipped smile as I made my way up to them. That was the best I could do.

"Bella," Esme Cullen smiled warmly at me, and it seemed genuine. Then again, I had no reason to believe it wasn't. Cullen's parents had never given me any reason to hate them, but I still felt incredibly uncomfortable talking to them.

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen. Dr. Cullen," I greeted them awkwardly, feeling extremely uneasy and out of place standing here talking with them. Luckily, their son was nowhere in sight.

"Call me Esme, please," Cullen's mother smiled.

"And you can call me Carlisle. Charlie tells us you're going to Dartmouth?" Dr. Cullen asked.

Calling them by their first names seemed like an odd request. It's not like they were old family friends or my in-laws (God forbid).

I nodded, a little confused as to why Charlie and the Cullens were suddenly buddies.

"That's an excellent school. You're grades must be impeccable," Dr. Cullen praised, smiling.

I shrugged.

"Yes, that's quite a big deal to be accepted there. You have a full academic scholarship too?" Esme asked.

I nod.

"That's wonderful. Edward told me you were an excellent tutor, by the way. Thank you so much for helping him. He passed English because of you," she said, smiling again. "Maybe you and Edward will see each other around the campus."

I froze.

"What?" Charlie and I demanded in unison, although for different reasons. Charlie still hadn't known about my tutoring Cullen, and I had no idea Cullen and I would be attending the same college.

"Edward's going to Dartmouth?" I demanded, panic stirring in my chest and my anger rising.

Mr. and Mrs. Cullen exchanged a glance. Their smiles fell off their faces.

What the fuck was happening?

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think?<strong>


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer:** All that is Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.

**The rest is mine. Thank you for the continuing support.**

**I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find, so feel free not to correct me in a review ;)**

**Thanks again and enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

"Edward, _your son_, is going to Dartmouth?" I demanded again. How the hell did he get into Dartmouth? I mean, I had to tutor him in English. I guess your parents' money can buy you anything._ Figures_, I thought bitterly.

Mrs. Cullen looked confused now. "Yes," she clarified. "I thought he would have told you."

This time it was my turn to be confused. "Why?" I asked curiously.

"We thought since you were tutoring Edward and saw him every day that you two talked," Dr. Cullen said slowly.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Charlie's head whip in my direction.

_Oh, shit._

"Okay, now wait just a minute here. What do you mean 'tutoring Edward'?" Charlie turned on me. "You were tutoring Edward? Edward Cullen?"

He was furious. _Double shit._

Suddenly, the grass and my shoes became very interesting as I avoided Charlie's stare. I knew the expression on his face couldn't be anything less than shocked.

"Bella?" Charlie demanded, stepping closer to me.

I chewed on my lower lip, ready to bite clean through it. I looked up nervously. "Yeah, Ch—Dad, I was gonna tell you, but I figured it was better not to?" I visibly winced and waited for the attack to begin, but it never came. I looked up again and Charlie was turning ten shades of red dangerously fast.

"We thought you knew, Charlie," Mrs. Cullen said apologetically.

Charlie turns to her, clearly irritated. "No, I wasn't told," he grumbled, giving me a pointed look.

"I had to. It was my punishment for beat—for hitting McCarthy," I said sheepishly.

"Oh really? You're punishment was to tutor Edward Cullen?" he asked skeptically.

At this point, Edward's parents looked like they were ready to make a break for it.

"Uh, no, not exactly. I had to be a student tutor, and Edward was a student who needed tutoring," I defended. "I, uh, guess I felt bad for him?"

Charlie turned one shade darker, and I started to worry steam would start to blow out of his ears.

"_You_ felt bad for _him_?" he demanded sarcastically, his voice rising and drawing the attention of a few by-standers. He narrowed his eyes slightly, lowering his voice. "Did he threaten you if you didn't tutor him?"

Mrs. Cullen's eyes widened as big as saucers and Dr. Cullen looked slightly annoyed ad very uncomfortable at the accusation, but it did sound like Edward. Or at least the Edward I'd known when I'd left Forks. Given his track record, Charlie's accusation wasn't all that hard to believe, but it wasn't true.

"What? No of course not. If he had, I would have told you," I assured him quickly.

"Edward isn't the same person he was back then, Charlie," Dr. Cullen said firmly, defensively.

Oh no. I needed to get Charlie out of here and fast before the rel shit hit the fan.

Charlie scoffed. "Forgive me if I don't think all that therapy and community service did anything to change him or to help _Bella_." No one missed that he sneered the word 'therapy'.

I did think that was kind of odd though, Edward going through therapy. What did he need therapy for? I was the victim in the situation back then, so why did _he_ need therapy? It made me wonder if there was more to Edward than the cruel things he'd done. Was there more to the story I hadn't considered or hadn't been told?

"Edward paid for what he did," Dr. Cullen said grimly, taking a step forward.

Mrs. Cullen looked horrified at the confrontation unfolding in front of us. I was frozen in place, not able to form words or swallow the lump in my throat.

"Oh really? That's how you define paying for it? Therapy and a slap on the wrist? What about Bella, all the things he did to her?" Charlie demanded, motioning to me with an angry wave of his hand.

"Dad," I tried, but Dr. Cullen was aready talking over me.

He looked at me. "Edward did terrible things that he's ashamed of, but he isn't the same person," Dr. Cullen said seriously, his eyes burning into mine, pleading.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Charlie beat me to it.

"Your son is a selfish little-"

"Dad!" I cut him off before he could finish his sentence and things got violent. "Please stop arguing," I begged, looking between the two of them.

Charlie and Dr. Cullen were locked in a glaring contest.

Mrs. Cullen touched her husband arm in an effort tocalm him. "Come on, Carlisle. We have to go," she said softly. "It was really nice seeing you, Bella."

I nodded, giving her a small smile but said nothing.

When they were finally out of earshot, I turned to Charlie.

"Let's go. We can talk about this later...when there are less people around," I said pointedly.

"Yeah, fine, but this conversation isn't over. Not by a long shot," he grumbled.

We walked to the car in silence, Charlie walking ten steps ahead of me. He was pissed. Great, all I needed was to be grounded for the duration of my time in his house before I left for Dartmouth.

Charlie drove in silence, both hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. I wished he'd say something, but then as soon as he started talking, I regretted it.

"Who does Carlisle think he is? He has no idea what you went though, what his son put you through. I remember you coming home crying all the time, covering in bruises, too scared to tell anyone what really happened," he ranted.

I winced. "Dad, I know. I lived it, okay?"

He glanced at me. "Yeah, I know you did." He sighed. "I don't think anything will ever make up what happened to you. Edward never even apologized to you."

"He tried," I said quietly.

He looked at me almost in disbelief. "What?"

"I mean, kind of. He kind of apologized."

"'Kind of'? When?" he demanded.

I thought for a minute. Edward had never actually just said the words 'I'm sorry'. He'd just gone on about how awful he was and how terrible he'd treated me. I wondered if just hearing those words would make all the difference, but deep down I knew they probably wouldn't.

"I don't know. When I was tutoring him, I guess," I said.

"And this whole Edward thing, is that why you and Jacob aren't talking anymore?" he asked.

I sigh and shrink into my seat.

"Does it?" he demanded.

"Yeah," I mumbled.

Finally, we pulled up to the house, but neither of us got out of the car.

Charlie sighed, tiredly rubbing a hand over his face. "Is there any fixing it?"

"No. I don't think so," I said after a moment, thinking of the things Jacob had said to me. Some felt unforgivable.

"You know, sometimes, Bella, you gotta learn to love what's good for you," Charlie said slowly. "I bet whatever it is that Jacob did concerning Edward he did it with good intentions."

I shrugged. "Maybe," I mumbled.

"Why don't you give Jacob a call, invite him to go out with you and Angela tonight to celebrate graduation?" he suggested.

I sighed. "Dad, I don't think that's a good idea."

Charlie sighed. "Alright. Okay, Bells. Just think about patching things up, okay? I don't want you to leave for college with any regrets."

"I won't," I promised.

*0*o*0*o*0*o*0*

"I know it sounds crazy, but I'm going to miss this place," Angela said sadly, glancing around The Lodge, the old diner we'd chosen to have our dinner at.

I shook my head. "It's not crazy. I'll miss it, too," I said. "But there's always the holidays, right?"

She smiled. "Right," she said, holding up her glass in a toast.

I held mine up, and we clinked them together.

"We did it, graduated high school," she said proudly.

"Yep, and now we're moving on to college," I said.

"Yeah, and not just any college but _Dartmouth_," she nearly squealed. "Can you believe it? My parents were even more excited than I was about getting in."

We shared a laugh, and I realized I really would miss Forks. At least Angela was coming to Dartmouth with me. We'd even planned to make the trip up there together.

Angela sat forward. "So I'm thinking we should try to get a dorm room together. I don't know if—"

"Bella?"

Angela and I both glanced up, and I wanted to kill Charlie. I knew he must have had something to do with this. Jacob stood beside out table, dressed casually in a white t-shirt and jeans. He jammed his hands into his pockets and shifted awkwardly.

"Jacob? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"You tell me. Charlie called and said you wanted me to meet you here," he said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't know what Charlie told you, but I didn't want you here."

Hurt touched his eyes and he let out a long exhale as if he'd been holding his breath.

_Don't feel bad, Bella. Don't do it. Don't._

I played with the straw in my glass, glancing at an uncomfortable-looking Angela.

"Can we just talk, Bella? Outside?" Jacob asked, not looking at Angela.

"Why?" I demanded, not really trusting Jacob at this point.

"Please," he begged.

I looked at him, scanning his face for any sign of deceit but only found sincerity.

I looked at Angela who shrugged.

"I'll be right back," I told her, getting out of the small booth.

"Thank you," Jacob said as I followed him out of the restaurant to the sidewalk.

We sat down at a nearby bench.

It was a warm night in Forks. Stars sparkled brightly in the sky, and the glowing streetlights gave the town a homey, warm look. Dim light from the restaurant poured over us. Strangers laughed in the windows. Couples walked by, hand in hand.

"I know my apology was all wrong. Hell, it wasn't even an apology," Jacob began.

I scoffed. "You can say that again."

He laughed once, regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry about that, about everything. What I said...I was wrong. I never meant to hurt you or make you think I thought you were, uh, as you put it 'a dumb, naive slut' which you could _never_ be. I'm so sorry, Bella. I acted like an idiot."

I looked into his eyes, expecting his eyes to tell me it was only a half-hearted apology, but I was surprised to find the sincerity lingering there.'

"I forgive you, but I still don't understand why you said what you said. Why would think there was something going on between me and Edward?" I demanded.

He sighed, leaning back. "I guess the best way to describe it is I was jealous," he murmured.

"Jealous?" I asked, confused.

"Edward. I didn't like you hanging out with him," he replied.

"Why?" I asked stupidly. Anyone could put two and two together. I didn't know what to say. My friend, Jacob, was jealous because I was hanging out with another guy? I hadn't really thought of Jacob in that way since I'd gotten to know him. I mean, he was nice-looking and funny, but it just didn't feel right. There didn't seem to be a spark. He was like a brother to me.

He laughed. "Isn't it obvious?"

I tried not to let my mouth drop or show him how unappealing the idea of loving a brother-figure that way would be.

"I've missed you, Bella," he said softly, leaning in a little closer.

Closer...

_Uh, oh._ No, this couldn't happen. I wasn't ready for this...but I was out of time.

Closer. Until his lips pressed softly against mine. His lips were warm and firm, needy. It wasn't totally unpleasant, and for a moment I tried. I really did. For a just moment I pretended. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend he wasn't Jacob but someone else, someone I felt a real spark with. I tried, but it was too real. Jacob was my best friend, and whether we were fighting or not I still wanted him to be happy, but this just couldn't work. I couldn't pretend; it wasn't right or fair to him.

I pulled away, pushing gently on his chest to tell him to move back, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jacob," I whispered. "But we're just friends, best friends."

He chuckled regretfully, letting his warm breath wash over my wash as he let out a sigh. "It was worth a shot though, right?" His smile was wounded, and I could see the sting of rejection in his eyes.

I stood up. "Come on. Let's go back inside."

He sighed and stood, too.

We walked back inside together.

**EPOV:**

She had kissed him. Bella had kissed Jacob Black. Or rather he'd kissed her, at least that's what it had looked like, but she let him.

_But she pulled away. _

I must have imagined her doing that, but I couldn't be sure. All I could focus on was seeing him so close to her where I wished I could be, her lips on his undeserving ones. It pissed me the fuck off even though it had no right to.

So maybe I was all wrong for Bella, too, just as wrong for her as Jacob was. Maybe I didn't deserve her. Maybe I had no right to be this jealous. Okay, strike all those maybes. There were no maybes about it. But I sure as hell knew Jacob didn't deserve any part of Bella either. He wasn't good enough; neither of us were.

"What are you staring at, Cullen?" Collin asked, coming up behind me and tracing my murderous glare to Jacob Black.

Paul laughed from behind me. "Well, well, well. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Cullen here's got his panties in a twist over the Swan girl," the little bastard laughed.

Collin and Alec joined in on the laughter.

"Shut the fuck up, Collin. At least I don't have the hots for Jennifer Malloy," I sneered like a child.

Paul laughed, holding his hands up in mock defense. "Hey, man, no one's blaming you. That Swan's a real nice-looking piece of ass."

I saw red.

I was in his face in less than a second and he was against a brick wall, my hands gripping the collar of his shirt.

"Don't ever talk about her like that again," I said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, calm down, man," Alec said from somewhere behind me. Alec, always the level-headed one trying to make peace between everyone. "He's not worth it, and you know it."

I smirked when I saw that Paul looked scared shitless. _What a pussy._

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? Does that make you feel better, Cullen?" he sneered. "Geez, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were whipped by that bitch."

That's when my hand, on its own accord, formed into a fist and collided with his jaw. He landed on the ground with a thud, cupping his jaw.

"You son of a bitch," he spat, getting back to his feet and preparing to swing.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

I knew that voice. I turned to see Chief Swan coming up behind us, fully decked out in his uniform. His hand instinctively went to his gun.

"Nothing, sir," Alec said quickly, gulping nervously.

"Then why was he just on the ground?" Chief Swan demanded. He turned to me. "Cullen?"

"Just a misunderstanding," I said, scowling at Paul. If he knew what Paul had been saying about his daughter, I'm sure he would have shot him, and Paul knew it, so he wisely decided to keep his mouth shut about it.

"Is that right?" Chief Swan questioned, looking at Paul who was still cupping his jaw.

Paul glared at me but nodded. "Yeah, just a misunderstanding."

Chief Swan looked at me again. He wasn't stupid, and he wasn't convinced. "Why don't we have a little chat?"

_Fuck._ This wasn't good.

"Come here," he ordered, motioning for me to follow.

I did, and he led me just a few feet away from the others.

"Am I gonna have trouble outta you right before you leave for college?" he demanded.

_How did he know I was going to college?_

"It won't happen again," I said instead of questioning him about how he got his information.

"Hmph, well, be sure that it doesn't," he grumbled. "By the way, your parents talked to me at graduation. I know you're going to Dartmouth, same school as Bella."

_Wait, what?_

"Bella's going to Dartmouth?" I asked, dumbfounded. "And you talked to my parents?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Yes, and if I hear anything about you bothering her . . ." he trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air. "Stay out of trouble, and stay away from my daughter," he warned.

With that, he left me standing there, giving Collin, Alec, and Paul a stern warning glare.

Bella was going to Dartmouth.

I wasn't sure yet if this was good or bad news.

My heart picked up pace slightly. And something else did, too... Hope?

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading. Stick around if ya want...<strong>


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**A New Dawn**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

**The rest is mine. I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find, so feel free not to correct me in a review ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

"Now don't get carried away, Bells. You aren't leaving until fall," Charlie reminded me.

I didn't care though because nothing could kill my excitement. I was done with high school. If I didn't want to, I never had to see any of those assholes again. I idly thought about how I realized I wouldn't miss any of them...except for Angela, but she was coming to Dartmouth with me. We had already started making plans to make the trip up there together. Hopefully, she would be one of my roommates.

Then there was Jacob, of course. He wasn't happy about my leaving, but I figured it wasn't his life. I wanted to go to a great college, and I was going whether or not I had his approval. He called me almost every day now, and we hung out when we could. I enjoyed our conversations and the time we spent together, but I wondered why he still even bothered. Somehow I felt like he didn't believe me when I told him we were just friends and could never be anything more. I felt like he was wasting his time on me, and I wondered how pissed he would be when he realized I wasn't playing hard to get. I debated on whether this moving on to college would not only be a clean break from Forks but from Jake as well.

I had no intention of forgetting about Charlie. I would still visit...or preferably he could visit me.

"I know, but I'm still excited," I told him.

"Hmph," he grumbled from the kitchen table as he opened up his newspaper. He wasn't happy about my leaving either. I mean, he was my dad, and he was extremely proud that I was going to such a good college, but he was having a hard time accepting the fact that his little girl was growing up.

Even though I was only eighteen, I felt as though I was closing a chapter in my life. I think it was reasonable that most people felt that way. It was a big deal, after all. Now, I was by no means all grown up. I still had quite a bit to learn I'm sure, but I felt a small sense of accomplishment still.

"Billy and Jake are coming over for dinner," Charlie said suddenly.

"Oh," I replied lamely, not all that excited. I wasn't really looking forward to more of Jacob trying to convince me I had feelings for him when I truly didn't.

"Everything okay?" Charlie asked, glancing at me over the top of his paper.

I nodded. "Yeah..."

He clearly wasn't convinced. "Bella, did something happen between you two again?"

I shook my head, sighing. "No, not really."

He set his paper down on the table. "What does 'not really' mean?"

I blew out a long breath. This was going to be so awkward. It's times like these a girl really needed her mom most. "Dad, Jake wants...he wants to be more than friends."

I could see Charlie's Adam's apple bob in his throat as he realized this was probably a conversation he rather we didn't have as a mumbled an uncomfortable, "Oh."

"And I don't want to be more than friends," I continued even as we were both uncomfortable since I simply needed to get it off my chest.

"I see," he said slowly. "And does, uh, Jacob now this?"

I nodded immediately. I had never led him on or given his reason to think otherwise. "I think it's ruining our friendship."

Charlie sighed, rubbing a hand over the light stubble covering his face. "If you want, we can cancel dinner tonight. I'll just call and tell them you got sick or...something."

I shook my head. "Nah, that's okay. Angela was talking about going down to Port Angeles anyway. Would it be alright if I went?" I asked.

He thought for a moment. "Do you still have that pepper spray I gave you?"

"Yes," I laughed, nodding.

That seemed to ease him slightly. "Alright, but be home by ten-thirty, okay?"

I sighed internally with relief. A night out with a girlfriend could just what I needed right now.

* * *

><p>"Bella, this is Bree. Bree, Bella."<p>

Bree Tanner was a junior at Forks High. I took pity on her since she still had another year of that hell hole to go.

"Nice to meet you," she said, smiling genuinely at me.

"You, too," I replied, smiling back.

"So you guys ready to go shopping?" Angela asked.

I groaned since I hated clothes shopping. I was purely in this to avoid dinner with Jacob and because I heard there was a really good bookstore nearby.

"Relax, Bella," Angela laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. "We'll get to your nerdy bookstore," she joked, knowing she loved reading just as much as I did.

"A bookstore?" Bree asked curiously.

"Yeah, it's only one or two blocks from place we're going first," Angela said.

"Which is...?" I asked.

"This clothing store called Eclipse. I hear it has great deals," Angela replied.

"Interesting name," Bree commented.

"Let's go," I urged. The sooner we got done clothes shopping the sooner we could move on.

The store called Eclipse wasn't hard to find. Angela seemed to know the way pretty well, saying a friend had given her easy directions. From the street the store looked tiny, but once we got inside it seemed to stretch on for miles, but maybe that was just because I hated shopping if books or music weren't involved. The store was full or clearance racks and good sales just as Angela had promised. She and Bree dove in immediately in shopaholic's hog heaven.

I wandered aimlessly around the store, really no intention of trying on any clothes. I walked along a random aisle and a small glimmer caught my eye. I realized what had caught my eye was among a wall of jewelry. My eyes scanned for the glint I had seen to find a ring on a black felt mannequin hand. I slid the ring off with ease and inspected it to find it was absolutely beautiful. The silver band was very thin and delicate, and it fit on to my finger perfectly as I ignored the tiny paper tag hooked to its side. The solid white stone in the middle was beautiful as well. It was cradled nicely inside of a four-pronged silver setting that webbed over the face of the stone in delicate little wisps that gave the tiny yet beautiful ring some flair.

I checked the tiny tag hanging off the side, and I immediately came back down to reality. I pulled the ring off my finger hastily as if it had burned me. As beautiful as it was there was no way I could spend that much on a ring. It felt wasteful, and it just didn't feel right splurging like that. As much as I hated to I set the ring back down on the shelf with a frown. Of course the one thing I liked in this store was the only thing not on sale.

I sighed, feeling depressed as I forced myself to walk away. I searched for Angela and Bree to find them lingering near the dressing rooms.

"Oh, there you are, Bella. What do you think?" Angela asked, twirling for me so I could get the full effect of the dress she was trying on.

I nodded. "It looks very nice on you," I replied truthfully.

"It really does," Bree agreed.

Angela glanced in the mirror again, her eyes lighting up. "I guess it's a winner then," as she practically skipped back inside the stall she'd been changing in.

I waited patiently for her to come out while Bree showed me a couple of shirts she planned to buy.

"You guys I think I'm going to head over to the bookstore early," I told them.

"What? You haven't even tried anything on for us yet," Angela pouted.

"I don't really care much for clothes shopping," I shrugged.

Angela rolled her eyes but smiled. "Are you sure? It's getting dark out."

"Yeah, we should walk with you," Bree said.

I shook my head. "I'll be fine. You guys have fun."

"Um, okay. You want us to meet you there in like," she paused to consult her watch, "half an hour?"

"Actually, I'm getting a little hungry. Maybe we could meet some place to eat?" I asked.

"I think there's a restaurant close by. I saw it while we were walking here, and it smelled pretty good from the outside," Bree offered. "It was called New Moon, I think."

I nodded. "I know where it is."

"Great. We'll meet up there then?" Angela asked.

"Sounds good to me," I smiled.

"Okay, we'll see you there," Angela promised and I left them to it.

...

It didn't take me long to get to the bookstore, and it looked exactly like I had expected. It was a small, modest little place with a dream-catcher and a small sign on the door that read 'open'. It was dimly lit, providing it with a cozy atmosphere. Two comfy brown sofas and a couple of recliners sat in the middle of the store surrounded by walls and shelves of books.

I scoured the shelves, becoming completely lost in the books. They had everything here from Shakespeare to Mark Twain to Emily Dickinson to Robert Frost. Anything you could want. This was my hog heaven.

I had completely lost track of time, and when I finally purchased a couple of books and walked outside I noticed it had gotten considerably dark. I checked my watch to find it was already nine o'clock. I tried not to think about the fact that I was a young girl walking by herself in a lonely street. I had to remind myself that the restaurant wasn't far and as long as I hurried I could get there in a matter of minutes.

I was hurrying when I heard a whistle from behind me, almost causing me to jump ten feet in the air. My heart immediately skipped a beat and then thumped wildly against my ribcage in panic. Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe it was just the cop's daughter in me talking.

"Hey sweetie!" a male voice whistled, and since I was the only other person on the street at the moment I knew he was talking to me. If I was lucky, the guy was just drunk and harmless.

But then again luck never was on my side...

I walked faster, and my heart began beating like a hummingbird's wings inside my chest, faster and faster until I felt like it might explode in there.

"Baby, where you goin'?" another voice shouted after me.

I could hear their voices get louder and footsteps quickening as they got closer, trying to catch up with me. I didn't dare look back. I picked up my pace, almost at a jog now as I simultaneously tried to rummage through my bag for the pepper spray I knew I had. All I could hear was Charlie's voice in my head, reminding me to use it.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a firm grip lock onto my elbow.

_Fuck, where is that damn pepper spray?_

"Get your pretty little ass over here," the guy slurred as he tried to pull me closer. He was a short, pudgy guy with short brown hair.

I wrenched my arm out of his hand roughly. "Leave me alone," I growled at them, surprised at the strength my voice seemed to hold.

"Aww, she's scared," a third one laughed as he tried to reach out and stroke my hair, and I flinched back from his hand.

They reeked of cigarettes and beer. They were young guys, probably college students.

_Fight or flight._

"She's a pretty little thing. You shouldn't be out here all by yourself little girl," the repulsive, pudgy guy smirked, stepping closer to me.

They were closing in. Closing in like sharks, circling me, and I had nowhere to go. I felt a small amount of relief as my fingers brushed against the cool surface of the pepper spray. I gripped it firmly to make sure I didn't lose it again, and yanked it out of my purse. I aimed it at the guy closest to me. I didn't hesitate as I sprayed the bastard in his eyes.

He cried out repeatedly and stumbled back, his hands immediately rushing up to rub his burning eyes. His friends were momentarily stunned, and I took full advantage as I took off as fast as I could.

"Get that little bitch!" the man who I had just blinded cried out furiously.

They came after me once more, their feet pounding on the pavement behind me. I gripped the pepper spray tightly, prepared to use it again, when all of the sudden I was blinded by headlights. The silver Volvo came out of nowhere and came to a screeching halt right in front of me. I stopped in my tracks, wide-eyed, as did the men chasing me.

The driver's door swung open and a tall figure stepped out, slamming the car door shut loudly.

I couldn't see because of the headlights shining in my eyes, but as the figure drew closer an unmistakable mass of unruly bronze hair was revealed and my heart skipped a beat. Could it really be who my mind jumped to? I thought surely I was seeing things until he spoke, and then I knew for sure I was seeing reality.

"Bella," he said lowly, dangerously. "Get in the car."

I hesitated.

"Now," he growled and I scurried to the passenger side, not bothering to look back.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**-Angie**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**A New Dawn**

**I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

"Distract me," Edward pleaded, his voice still dangerous.

"What?" I asked.

"Distract me so I don't turn around and try to hunt those bastards down," he clarified. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had turned ghostly white.

"Oh..." I trailed off, trying to think of something, but I was still in shock. "I...Where do I start? How the hell did you...where did you come from?"

"I was in the area," he said as if it were that obvious.

"Edward," I said, annoyed. "Were you...were you _following_ me?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow at him.

He closed his eyes briefly, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Watch the road!" I half-shouted in a panicked tone.

His eyes popped open and he looked at me. "Bella, those men were going to hurt you."

"Well, no shit, Sherlock, but I asked what you were doing there," I said impatiently.

He laughed darkly. "What makes you think I was following you? Conceited much?" he asked sarcastically.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, you do have stalkerish tendencies."

He laughed once. "Like what?" he demanded.

"Like lip-reading my conversations, remember?" I snapped.

He paused, his lips pressing into a thin line. I had him there, and he knew it.

"I'm sorry," he said so low I almost didn't hear.

"For what?" I asked.

"For doing that. I shouldn't have. It was creepy," he said.

"Yeah," I laughed. "It was. It's even creepier that you can do that."

He shrugged. "It comes in handy."

"So you've said."

We drove along in awkward silence for a few moments.

"Angela and Bree are probably going insane wondering where I am," I said suddenly, remembering my plans to meet up with them.

"Do you have your phone?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No," I frowned. "It was dead, and I forgot to charge it last night, so I didn't bother bringing it."

He shook his head, sighing. "You certainly didn't think, did you?" he demanded, sounding both annoyed and angry.

_What the hell?_

"Stop the car," I ordered.

He glanced at me like I was insane, probably wondering if he'd heard me correctly. "What?" he asked, looking and sounding confused.

"I said stop the damn car," I repeated louder as I gripped the door handle.

"What? No!" he argued. "I'm not dropping you off in the middle of the street. You obviously can't be left alone. You're a magnet for trouble."

"What!? Okay, let me out now asshole!" I yelled at him, ready to use my pepper spray for the second time that night.

He ignored me, and when the car didn't stop or even slow I simply opened the door as we sped along. His head whipped in my direction and his eyes widened in shock. He slammed on the brakes, and I quickly took off my seatbelt and tried to bolt from the car. His hand caught my arm in a strong grip. I tried to squirm free, but he had me.

"Are you crazy!?" he shouted at me, his eyes wild.

"Let me go now or I'll scream," I threatened, eyeing the gang of scary-looking bikers down in the alleyway next to the McDonalds.

I could see his sharp jaw flexing furiously as he clenched and unclenched it. He let go of my arm finally and I grabbed my bag and slammed the car door before starting to walk. I heard the engine stop and the sound of his door slamming.

"Bella," he begged, following me.

I spun around, flipping him off before I continued up the street. "Where the fuck am I?"

"Even now as you've threatened to have a bunch of bikers jump my ass and have given me the finger you're asking for directions?" he bit out sarcastically. He was sickly amused by this and began laughing at me.

"Fuck you," I said, walking faster.

I heard him sigh before he caught up with me, placing his hand on my shoulder to stop me. I immediately shrugged off his hand and he stepped back.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? Please get back in the car and I'll take you home," he offered.

"No, I have to find Angela and Bree," I said stubbornly. "They're probably worried sick about me."

"Here," he said as he dug in his pocket, pulling out his own phone. "You can use my phone to call them."

"Fine," I huffed even as I hated to accept help from this asshole.

"You know, you'd think you'd be a little more grateful since I saved you from those men," he said.

_What the fuck!?_

"You cocky bastard, I was doing just fine without you!" I yelled even if it wasn't completely true. I don't know for sure if I would have gotten away from the other two without a getaway car.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"You know what? Fuck you and your phone," I said, throwing it back at him.

He barely caught it as I thrust it towards him. "Damn it. Stop it, would you? You're acting like a child."

"And you're acting like a jackass," I threw back as I kept walking. "Oh, wait. What am I thinking? You aren't acting."

He sighed loudly. "You know, this running away thing is getting really old."

I rolled my eyes. "Bastard," I mumbled.

"What?"

"Bastard!" I shouted loud enough so that he and everyone else around us could hear.

"Bella, stop," he growled, sounding annoyed and embarrassed.

"Bella, stop," I mocked him without slowing down.

The farther we walked the less people we saw until it was just the two of us.

"Hey!" he shouted at me, grabbing my arm roughly.

Then it was like a reflex as I clocked him right in the nose. He released my arm instantly and stumbled back, his eyes widening to the size of saucers in surprise. His hands reached up to cover his now bleeding nose. I rubbed my knuckles. They were stinging from punching his big, fat nose.

"Holy shit," he groaned. "I think you broke my nose," he accused, his eyes still wide in disbelief.

I stared at him in pain with a sick satisfaction until it was all almost too much. No, it _was_ too much. By the time he regained any sort of composure I was bent over at the waist laughing at him. I had just punched Edward Cullen in the nose, and it felt _really_ good. The small soreness in my hand was easy to ignore once I burst into a fit of laughter.

Edward was glaring at me as he pulled a handkerchief or something out of his pocket to wipe his nose.

"And you were acting like I can't defend myself," I somehow managed to say in my fit of laughter. I stepped closer to him, trying to calm myself down.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, stepping back.

I wiped a tear from my eye as I stepped closer again. "Relax. Don't get your panties in a twist. I just want to look at your nose."

"Oh, you're a doctor now?" he asked sarcastically, but he didn't move this time when I stepped closer.

"No, but I've been to the ER plenty of times," I reminded him. "Oh, Edward, it is broken," I said, biting my lip to keep from laughing. "Huh...I didn't think hit you that hard."

"Didn't hit me that hard? Then why the bloody hell is my nose gushing blood?!" he squealed like a girl.

I shrugged. "Noses aren't that hard to break. Come on, we need to get you to a hospital so they can patch up your nose," I laughed.

He glared at me. "This is not funny."

I mashed my lips together to keep from laughing all over again, and I actually saw the corners of his mouth turn up in amusement.

"You're right," I tried to say. "This is not funny," I mimicked his serious tone.

He finally caved, laughing lightly. "I guess I deserved it."

I nodded. "You did," I said as we began walking back to his car.

"Bella?" someone called.

I turned to see Angela and Bree running towards us.

"Where have you been? We've been looking all over! We were starting to get really worried!" Angela said before she noticed Edward standing there. She gave me a questioning look and I shook my head.

"I'm sorry you guys, but I ran into some trouble. Edward helped me out," I said.

"Trouble?" Bree asked, concerned.

"I was leaving the bookstore and some guys started bothering me," I shrugged. "I used pepper spray on one of them and then Edward showed up out of nowhere."

"Oh, is that what happened to your nose, Edward?" Angela asked, sounding panicked.

I glanced at Edward in his blood-covered shirt. It took everything I had not to fall on the ground and laugh so hard I couldn't breathe.

He gave me sideways glance but simply nodded at Angela's inquiry. "Yeah, one of them hauled off and clocked me. Tiny fellow."

"Yeah, he was pretty tough though," I added, trying to keep my face and voice serious. "I thought surely he would pummel Edward's ass, but Edward was taller, so..."

"Okay," Angela said slowly, awkwardly. "Well, I guess we better get going, Bella."

"Yeah, we probably-"

"I can take you home, Bella," Edward offered, but it sounded more like an order.

"No, it's fine," I said.

Angela and Bree looks at the two of us, confused as ever and clearly not knowing whose side to take on this. I tried desperately to send Angela and eyeball message of 'Are you crazy?! Take me with you!', but no such luck.

"Um, I guess that's okay. Bella, is it okay with you?" Angela asked.

"No," I said simply when I realized I didn't at all care about sparing Edward's feelings.

"But my nose is broken," Edward said quickly. "I need you to drive me to the hospital."

"He has a point there. He did save you," Bree said, eyeing Edward like he was McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy.

Puke.

I looked to Ang for help, but she simply shot me an apologetic look and shrugged.

"Sorry, Bella, they've got you there. You can drive Edward to the hospital and he can drive you home?" Angela asked Edward who nodded eagerly.

"Of course," he said right away.

"Great, so you've got her from here?" Angela asked him as if I were a child who didn't know any better.

"Yeah, we'll see you later," Edward told her.

What the fuck? They were acting like I wasn't even here.

But Angela and Bree were already practically skipping their way to wherever the hell Ang was parked, leaving only Edward and me again.

"Are you fucking serious?" I asked him.

"Hey, you punched me in the nose," he defended.

I glared at him and he threw his hands up in surrender.

"I may have deserved it, but it still hurts like hell, and you have to drive me to the hospital," he smiled.

"No, I don't," I shrugged. "I could let you suffer some more and then leave your nose a fucking crooked mess."

His eyes widened as if he was surprised to hear me talk like this, but then he smiled crookedly at me. He was amused again.

"What is so fucking funny?" I demanded.

"You," he laughed simply. "You're like a ferocious little kitten, all enraged but so harmless."

"If I'm so harmless then how did I manage to spray a bastard straight in the eyes with pepper spray, escape, and break your nose all in one night?" I asked.

This time he was having a fit of laughter. "You couldn't have escaped if I hadn't picked you up."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's go and get this night over with," I snapped as a yanked him by the shirt until we reached his Volvo. "Where are your keys?" I ground out.

He laughed. "Did you really think I was going to let you drive?"

I scowled at him. 'What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded angrily.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving even with a blood-gushing broken nose," he said smugly.

"Oh, wow. You're a real tough guy," I said sarcastically as I flung the driver's side door open. "Give me the fucking keys or I'll break all your damn fingers."

"Geez, you're so violent," he commented but still tossed me the keys.

"You're one to talk," I snapped which shut him up. "Plus, it's all your fault. You bring out the worst in me."

"Apparently," he frowned as he slipped into the passenger side.

The drive to the hospital was silent due to my anger, annoyance, and urges to smack him upside his massive head. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviewing :)<strong>

**TwiFic Recommendations:**

1.) **Original Sin by _mystique-jewled_**

_Summary_**: Edward Cullen is a notorious pirate and a wanted murderer. Isabella Swan is the daughter of a rich Baron and wants desperately out of her rigid lifestyle. She runs away and circumstances force her to disguise herself as a boy on Edward's pirate ship. AU**

2.) **Written in the Stars by _Lissa Bryan_**

_Summary_**: Edward is king of a dying race, his planet torn by civil war. Bella is abducted to become his bride. From college student to Queen... Can she learn to love this strange man and help save his people? AU/OOC, Rated M**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**A New Dawn**

**Hey everyone ;) Thank you so much for the reviews and support.**

**I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

"It's broken alright," Dr. Roberts said. "Would you like me to call your father? He's not on call tonight, but I'm sure he'd like to know that his son is in the ER with a broken nose."

"No, that's okay," Edward said coolly.

Dr. Roberts looked at him for a moment and then at me before nodding and leaving us alone as he went to go fetch the plastic surgeon.

I smiled wickedly at him. "This is going to be good."

He grimaced. "I'm glad you're going to enjoy this."

"One of us has to," I replied simply as I plopped down onto the stool with wheels that was really meant for the doctor. "Besides, you dragged me here."

He gaped at me. "You're the one who broke it. You owed it to me to at least drive me here."

I rolled my eyes. "As I recall, you deserved the nose-breaking, and I remember you squealing like a bitch when I really took you up on the offer to drive."

He sighed. "Okay, yes. Yes, I'm an asshole. I'm a bitchy, moody asshole. We've said that plenty. Can we move on from that topic, please?"

"Okay, fine...you have really fucked up hair," I commented honestly, pointing at the wild mess on top of his big head.

He groaned, tugging at said fucked up hair. "You are infuriating."

"You also have a big head. Too bad the brain isn't big enough to fill it," I told him.

He smirked, clearly catching on to the fact that I liked insulting him. "You really like this, don't you?"

"Are you kidding? This is great. I got to break your nose and now I've realized I have no problem or embarrassment about insulting you," I replied truthfully.

Before he could say anything back, there was a small knock on the door.

"Come in," I practically sang, hoping this had been what I was waiting for.

The man who poked his head in through the door was fairly attractive, unexpectedly so, and I had never seen him before. He kind of reminded me of McSteamy from Grey's Anatomy. "Hello, Mr. Cullen?" the doctor asked as he slipped inside, closing the door softly behind him. "I'm Dr. Grey, the new plastic surgeon here."

_Dr. Grey, huh?_

Edward nodded, his face looking miserable.

"Don't worry. I've done this dozens of times," the good doc laughed, but Edward found nothing funny.

I sure did though. "So, is his nose going to look like Owen Wilson's after this? You know, like a flaccid penis?" I questioned curiously.

Dr. Grey's and Edward's heads snapped towards me and stared at me as I had just confessed to having an orgasm in front of them or something. Edward's eyes widened as big as saucers, and his cheeks flushed red.

"Uh..." the doctor said awkwardly, looking very uncomfortable.

Huh...I thought doctors were comfortable with words like penis and vagina.

"How badly is it going to hurt him?" I asked because it was clear I wouldn't get an answer to my first question.

"Don't worry..."

"Bella," I supplied.

"Well, don't worry, Bella, he'll be just fine," Dr. Grey assured me.

"But it will hurt, right?" I asked hopefully.

He looked at me confused before slowly nodding.

"Okay, well, I'm ready," I told him, urging him to go ahead.

"Uh, I think I'm the one that needs to be ready," Edward piped in, sounding irritated.

I smiled widely. "Proceed," I told the hot doctor.

Edward took a deep breath as Dr. Grey prepared to fix his nose manually.

"Ready?" Dr. Grey asked as he gripped the sides of Edward's nose with his fingers.

"Ready," Edward said and closed his eyes tightly as Dr. Grey reset his nose.

A sickening crunch resounded through the room, and Edward cried out in pain.

Delicious sound. I wondered if I should be seeing a psychiatrist since I was pretty sure this was sick and wrong for me to be enjoying his pain this much.

Then again, maybe this was the therapy I had needed all along. Was it? Was my therapy seeing Edward hurt? There was only one way to test that theory. I would have to test it again and again.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading :)<strong>


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

I couldn't stop laughing at Edward's nose.

"Could you at least keep it down until we get to your house?" he demanded.

I tried to calm myself, forcing my lips to mash together so that the giggles didn't burst free. "Hey, that reminds me...look, I think it's best if you don't pull into the driveway where Charlie will see you."

"What?" he asked.

"You heard me, and you know why," I said dryly. _Don't play dumb, Edward._

He looked straight ahead, his face void of emotion.

"So," I continued. "Unless you want a shotgun shoved up your ass..."

"Okay, I get it," he snapped.

Uh oh, must have pressed a button. I smirked. "Am I getting under your skin, Eddie?"

His jaw clenched and his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

I rolled my eyes. "What is it?" I demanded seriously, although I don't know why I cared.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"Bullshit," I said, calling him out on his crap.

"I said nothing," he snapped at me, his green eyes alight with fury.

Whoa...

"Edward, what's your problem?" I demanded.

"Can we just be quiet, please?" he asked, clearly irritated with my questions.

Okay, maybe I had pushed him too far tonight.

I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"What?" he asked as if he thought he had heard me wrong.

"I'm sorry I broke your nose, and I'm sorry I asked the doctor if it would look like a flaccid penis," I clarified. "I wanted to see you hurt. I mean, I didn't set out to break your nose or anything, but maybe subconsciously...I'd been waiting for it?"

Edward glanced sideways at me, looking unsure as to how to take my strange apology. "I thought we already established I deserved that?"

I shrugged, looking out my window. "I guess I'm sorry anyway."

He didn't say anything after that, and neither did I. Minutes later, we came to a quiet stop right down the street from my house.

"I'll wait for you to make it inside before I leave," he said.

I nodded as I opened the door and hit the cool night air.

"Bella?" he asked before I got out.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning.

"Um...I don't really...I mean, I wanted to ask..." he rambled, clearly trying to word whatever he was going to say carefully.

Edward Cullen, nervous. Huh, who would have thought it? It was actually very amusing. "Ask what?"

"Could I see you tomorrow?" he blurted.

I raised an eyebrow. "I broke your nose and embarrassed you in front of your doctor. You have to go home and explain to your parents that a girl, Bella Swan no less, broke your nose. I've insulted you all night long. And you want to see me tomorrow?"

He nodded eagerly. "Yes, I would...very much so. Believe it or not, tonight was the most fun I've had in a long time. You're a very intriguing person, Bella."

I took a slow, deep breath and sat back in the seat, shutting the door gently. This was going to be an awkward conversation.

"Edward," I began. "Thank you for being there when those men tried to attack me. The truth is I was scared shitless, and I have no idea how I would have escaped them if it hadn't been for you, so thanks. But I don't think tomorrow is a good idea."

"Why not?" he demanded, looking straight into my eyes as if searching for a long, lost truth there. The truth about what I did not know.

"You know why," I said pointedly, and thankfully he had the decency to look ashamed.

"If I could just prove to you that I'm a different person..." he trailed off, his eyes intense as they burning into me.

I shook my head, taking another deep breath. "Edward, I don't doubt you've changed or that you feel guilty."

His eyes looked hopeful at my statement, but I knew I was about to crush that feeble light of hope.

"But I don't want your guilt," I told him. "I forgive you, okay? No need for you to feel guilty or try to atone for what you did back then, okay? I won't lie...some of the memories are still on reply in my head. They're humiliating and they hurt, but I'm trying to move on with my life, and you should, too."

"Guilt? You think this is about guilt?" he demanded, sounding angry and frustrated.

"Well, isn't it?" I asked simply. "You feel guilty for what you and the others did to me."

"That's true. I do hate myself for the person I was back then, but that has nothing to do with why I want to see you again, Bella," he insisted. "I like _you_."

For a moment, I was simply shocked. My freshman year came flooding back, and I remembered how I had pined over Edward before the bullying started when Tanya noticed me looking at her man. Then I became very angry. I was finally starting to move on, and he was dropping this on me? What head game was he playing?

"Tonight doesn't change anything," I told him grimly before getting out of the car without so much as another word or another glance back.

No one would surrender tonight.


End file.
